


Senior year

by SketchbookThingz



Category: Benedict Cumberbatch - Fandom, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-17
Updated: 2014-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-29 15:50:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 27,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1007241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SketchbookThingz/pseuds/SketchbookThingz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A/N : This story is completed, but I get sudden burst of inspiration about what their lives are like now,<br/>so I add little one shots to the end of it. ENJOY!<br/>https://www.pinterest.com/sketchbookthing/senior-year/<br/>This is my first attempt at this- it starts off slow but I had to change the rating to E due to some stuff I added....</p><p>This is an AU where Benedict and Aurora (OFC) are best friends in an performing arts school.  But their relationship gets tested as their senior year comes to a close and new student Tom is introduced to the mix.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you do and don't like 
> 
> My story was inspired by these photos  

Aurora was sitting in her film studies class drumming her pencil against her notebook, bored. It was the first day back and almost everyone in the class was new to her. She let out a sigh, blowing her bangs out of her face at the same time to let out her disappointment that no one that she knew from her previous year here was in this class.

Being tired out from work the night before she laid her head down on her desk and closed her eyes. Just a quick shut eye before class starts. She told herself.

No sooner were her eyes closing when she heard someone sit next to her and whisper “You’re giving a bad first impression on the first day of our last semester, don’t you think.” She heard the person say.

A smile crept up on her face, she knew that voice, it was her best friend, Benedict.

They met in theater performance class their freshmen year.Both were unable to get along with many of their peers and found friends in each other. Since then they spent every semester together helping each other with the others projects for their various classes.

"Well Benedict, not all of us can be as ready as you on our first days. Some of us get tired, you know human nature. After you do a lot of something your body says "Please stop’ " She replied without lifting her head up from her desk.

He let out a chuckle, “Same old Aurora. Missed having these intellectual conversations with you over the summer, how was yours darling?”

"Boring."

"Really? No torrid love affairs, or trips to foreign lands which led to self discovery and realizations of what you want out of life?"

Aurora laughed knowing her best friend was just coxing her out of her arms to not make a bad impression on her first day back. Finally she sat up, stretching her arms out into the air like a cat.

"And she finally emerges. The wild Aurora in her natural habitat-" before he could go any further she shoved her shoulder into his. She couldn't believe how much he had changed. A bit taller, and his hair was slightly longer than she last remembered it.

"Stop. I’m up. Awake. What else you want from me."

He just smiled.

"And what about your summer, Benedict. Any torrid love affairs while you were back home for the summer?"

"Yes. Countless actually. I think I might be father to several children."

Aurora laughed and playfully punched his shoulder, just as the teacher walked in.

"Hello. I am Professor McKesson, and we will be studying a total of 50 films over the next semester."

At this point everyone had opened their notebooks to take notes as the Professor began to hand out printed outlines of what was expected of them as pupils in this class.

"Any absences will lower your grade average by a full point, miss three or more sessions and you shall be dropped from my class. Miss any assignment and you shall be dropped from my class. Any talking in class you will be asked to leave."

McKesson turned around and began to write the list of movies that they would be studying in the course when Benedict slid a piece of paper over to Aurora

_Sorry I woke you up for this boring lecture. Even I want to fall asleep._

She stifled a giggle as she hid the note at behind some pages in her notebook.

"I expect you to write down this list and keep track of what assignments to turn in. This the only time I will have this list available and I will not repeat nor provide a list. If you miss a movie viewing in class it will be your responsibility to look for it and have the assignment due when it’s due. I do no take late work nor do I provide exceptions. Now are there any questions?"

No one moved or made a sound. The professor scanned the room twice to make sure she did not miss any raised hands.

"Okay." She said as she clapped her hands in front of her. "Without any further delay lets get started. Today we will talk about Themes."

As Professor McKesson turned around to write information on the board Benedict passed Aurora another note.

_Sorry to say but you look super tired. Did you not sleep?_

Aurora looked at the note twice. She didn’t know how to respond. Her friend had been back home in the UK over the summer vacation and forgot that he did not know anything about her situation. She bit her bottom lip before writing

 _Long story. Tell you later._ And passing it back to him. She didn’t want to worry him already. She had other things to think about.

Worry set in his face as he turned around and just nodded at his friend.

They both turned back to the professor and scribbled notes like crazy, both worried for different reasons.

Everyone flocked towards the door as soon as the bell rang.

"Do not forgot your essay on who is your favorite director and why is due tomorrow. Include examples from films if you have to. " Professor McKesson said loudly over the rumbling of feet stomping, chair scraping and talking. 

Benedict and Aurora both stayed seated not wanted to be smashed as the rush crammed into the doorway to get out. 

As the crowd thinned out Aurora stood up and stretched yet again as she yawned.  Benedict looked at her exactingly with worry in his eyes.

"What?" she asked as she began to wipe her face, "Did I drool on myself or something?"

 Worry was quickly replaced with laughter as he let out a chuckle at her self consciousness, making her laugh to. 

He got up and pushed their chairs in, “My lady,” he said as he extended his arm out for her to take. 

"My man." she laughed as she hooked her arm into his as they walked out into the busy hallway. 

"So this news that you were going to inform me about.." he said as they dodged a tap dancer stomping his way down the hall to his next class. 

"Oh yeah." biting her lip, "I have a place of my own this semester, and I had to get a job to help pay some of my bills." 

"What? Why.." he began.

"It’s a long story. Can I please tell you all about the glorious details later? I’m going to be late for dance." she cut him off.

He let out a groan, “Dance, why? Why must you take dance? Can’t you take one semester off dance and take art history with me? Don’t leave me alone with people I don’t like.”  

"Oh Benny, ‘people you don’t like,’ isn’t that a bad impression on your first day of art studies." 

"You know what I mean, its our last year here, lets spend some more classes together." 

"You know I love dance too much. Why don’t you just come to dance with me." she said with a huge smile on her face. 

He let a laugh out as they stopped at the staircase. 

"See you in theater class." she said as she began to descend the stairs to her dance class, and he ascended another up to his arts history. 


	2. First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all who continue to read my story, and give it kudos.  
> As always please comment and let me know what you think. Feed back is greatly appreciated
> 
>   
>  [ ](http://s830.photobucket.com/user/sketchbookthingz/media/covers/benadnaur_zps4c6eb0c3.jpg.html)   
> 

Benedict sat in a chair on the stage of theater class, drumming his fingers on his knee as he waited for Aurora to show up. Other students walked by saying “hi” and “great to see you again.” He just smiled and never responded.

As everyone else chattered and pulled their chairs closer together to talk about their summers he spotted Aurora walking in through the door. She wasn’t wearing her tee and jeans anymore. She had a towel around her neck and her t-shirt was replaced with a gray tank top and she was wearing what he assumed was her dance shorts as she had never worn anything like that before in the four years that he had known her.

They were short and almost skin tight. It was now that he noticed how much she changed over the summer. She had curves where he had noticed none before. Her dark brown hair was wet and down and passed her shoulders. She smiled as she spotted him and began to walk towards him.

He got up to offer her his chair but she just laughed and sat in the one next to him “Thank you oh chivalrous knight, but it would be quite rude of me to take your seat. Don’t you think.” she said as she took the towel off her neck and began to try to dry her hair.

He hadn’t realized that he hadn't spoken or that he was staring until Aurora spoke again. “What? Is there something on my face?” as she wiped her face with her towel.

"No!" he said a bit loudly. "Sorry, no. Just I never seen you wear something like that before it’s different, and your hair. It’s longer."

"Yeah. Since I rushed out this morning I forgot an extra pair of clean clothes." She sighed blowing her bangs out of her face at the same time.

"Everyone settle down." a man said as he walked onto the center of the stage. "Most of you will remember me from previous years, I am Professor Laughlin. This year we will be doing a various array of subjects. Improv, Shakespeare, and Russian Theatre." Aurora scooted her chair over to Benedict and rested her head on his shoulder. "Sorry," she whispered "Dance class tired me out." He just nodded. 

At this distance he could smell her shampoo, smelled like roses, and he couldn't help but bring his face closer and smell it again.

"Sorry, I'm late." a male voice with an accent said from the door. Everyone turned around and looked at the voice. "I got a bit lost." He said as he walked towards the stage.

"Come in, unlike other teachers I understand how big our campus is, and how other professors tend to hold up students. I am a bit more gracious with tardiness than most professors, just don't make it a habit and everything will be alright. My name is Professor Laughlin, I don't believe I've seen you here before."

"That would be correct sir, I just transferred here. Tom." He said as he walked up onto the stage. Aurora sat straight up and looked his way. He had curly red hair that demanded attention and Aurora gladly gave it to him. Benedict just shifted in his seat, intrigued by his accent.

"Well Tom come on up and let's get this class started." He took a seat next to Aurora.

"Hello, darling. Tom." he said holding his hand out to Aurora.

"All right everyone break up into groups of three and we'll start our first project of the year." Mr. Laughlin announced.

"Yes. I heard." she said shaking his hand. "Aurora." "Well Aurora, must I say you look quite lovely." And lifted her hand up to kiss it.

"Ay dios mio. No otro." She said in Spanish. "Otro? Ya teines novio?" he replied in broken Spanish.

Aurora let out a quiet laugh. "No. And you know Spanish?"

Benedict stood up and walked in between their exchange. "Aurora." he simply said.

"Un poquito." he replied in his broken Spanish. "I studied it up to the age of 15, but I can understand it better than I can speak it."

Aurora blushed a bit. "Well Tom that can understand Spanish better than he can speak it, this is my best friend Benedict. Who is, as you all say, also," and then she put on her best British accent. "from across the pond."

"Oh,really." Tom's face lit up and looked up at Benedict and put his hand out to shake his. "Tom."

"Benedict." he said as he shook Tom's hand.

"You can join our group if you want." she said.

"Aurora, can I talk to you real quick." Benedict hissed at Aurora.  Aurora stood up and put her towel over her left shoulder. "Yeah."

"Are you really just going to let him into our group?" "Yeah, you heard Laughlin, he said group of three." "But," Benedict had no retort.

He knew it was just jealousy that was keeping him from allowing Tom into their group, but he didn't know why. Aurora looked at him waiting for an answer, but he stared at her questioning face, than her crossed arms, than to her chest. He quickly forced his eyes back up.

"Are you jealous that I have another British friend now." she teased. "No,"he snapped. "Whatever let him work with us."

Aurora gave him a surprise hug, "Oh Benny, you'll always be my best friend. Just to let you know, jealousy is not very flattering on you." Benedict just let the scent of roses intoxicate him again and he felt something else in the pit of his stomach. She let go and called back for Tom.

"Come on over, lets get started." They sat cross legged on the floor of the stage while Professor Laughlin walked group to group assigning projects. Benedict just stared at his best friend flirt with someone else.

\--

Everyone was having too much fun during improv that when the bell rang they groaned and refused to leave. Aurora laughed as Tom did his impression of Owen Wilson.

Benedict stood up "Aurora you're going to be late for your music class."

"Oh yes. First impressions." she said as she gave her hand to him and he helped her up. Tom stood up as well, "Well if you do not mind, would it be quite all right if I tagged along."

Before Benedict could say anything Aurora interjected "Of course not." Benedict trailed behind them, and as much as he hated to admit it. Aurora was right.

He was jealous.


	3. "Home"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank you all for reading my story.  
> Please let me know if you would like to read more, what you like/don't like.

Coming out of her music class Aurora was greeted by Benedict. “Did you cut class?” She asked confused about how he was there already if class had just ended.

"No dear." He said putting his arm out for her take. "I have a study period, thought i would be here to walk you home."

"Oh," she said as she hooked her arm into his. "Well then. Home it is." She said as she tucked a little red notebook into her backpack.

"So, how was music class?" She let out another sigh blowing out her bangs from over her eyes.

"Ok. I guess. Professor Nicks says that because we are seniors in our prime, we have a write a new song every month to perform. But it has to be 'from the soul' as he so put it. " He could hear some sort of distraught in her voice and decided not to push the subject further.

"Every month huh? Well, you're brilliant, I'm sure you can come up with a song every week if you wanted." Aurora let out a chuckle.

"Thanks for the boost of confidence."

As they walked down the corridor to the front door, they heard someone call out Aurora's name.

"Aurora!" it almost yelled."Wait." 

"Who is that?" Benedict said as he stopped,  but Aurora tugged on forward.

"No one," she said quickly without looking back. "Come on, hurry or we'll miss our train." she continued to walk, almost dragging her friend with her.

"But-" he started to protest.

"Aurora!" the boy said again.

"We can't just ignore him. Why do you not want to talk to him?"

"I just don't!" she muttered at him. Too late. The boy had caught up to them and was now standing in front of them, bent over and out of breath.

"Aurora. You forgot this." he said as he held out his hand, it was a pen. Benedict let a sly smirk slid across his face.

He recognized the kid, he was a senior as well and in his art history class, and he was in their theater class last year, but the name was slipping his grasp.

Aurora rolled her eyes, "Thanks Jason." she said as she took it back.

"It's okay. I remember how you said that was your favorite, that you're dad got it for you when you went on that trip to California." he said as he huffed for breath in between words. Benedict stared at the pen in Aurora's hand, why was this story never told to him. He looked at the way Jason looked at her.

"That was nice of you. We have to go now, we're gonna miss our train." She said coldly and walked around him with Benedict in tow.

They were a block away and near the subway entrance when Benedict finally spoke up. "Why did we just run away from Jason, and why does he know so much about a pen of yours?"

Aurora just kept walking through the turnstiles and onto the platform. "He just does." she said without turning around. 

"Come on we're going to miss our train."

"Aurora. Benedict." a male voice said through the crowd. "Thank goodness I ran into you here. I need some help."

"Hello, Tom. Are you sure this is a coincidence and you are not just stalking me." Aurora said in a playful tone.

"You caught me." he laughed.

"Do you really need help?" Benedict interjected. "Our train is here."

"Where do you live?" Aurora asked as she walked towards the train. Tom quickly pulled out a piece of paper with an address scribbled on it. After quickly reading it Aurora grabbed his hand and pulled him into the train with her and Benedict without saying another word.

"Woah!" Benedict exclaimed as Tom crashed into him. "Sorry." Tom quickly replied.

"What's going on?" Benedict said as he looked past Tom to Aurora.

"Our buddy Tom lives in the same apartment building as me."

"You're joking." 

"Looks like it." Aurora said.

"Let me see that again." She said to Tom. He held up the paper.

"A taxi dropped me off this morning, so I didn't know which train to take back."

"Yup. That's the same building as mine on 5th avenue."

"You both live across Central Park?" Benedict questioned as they got out of the subway and unto the street.

"Yup." Aurora simply said as they got out.

"Come on."

\--

The three rode up the elevator in silence.

Aurora had pushed the 7th button and Tom the 10th. When the door opened Aurora and Benedict walked off, "See you around darling." Tom said as the doors were closing, but Aurora stuck her arm out quickly.

"You know, if you ever need to study lines or want to hang out, work on your spanish or whatever, I'm the third door on the right."

Tom smiled "Will do." he said as the doors closed.

Benedict just began walking down the hall to her door, not wanting to watch her flirt. Then the scene with Jason came back into his head. As she looked in her backpack for the key to the lock he asked again "So, Jason and you, why do I feel like there's more to it than you want to tell me. And also, why do you have your own apartment? Aurora, what happened this summer?"

"Fine." she said as she opened the door and they walked in. "Make yourself at home," and dropped her backpack on the couch as she walked into the kitchen for some water. He let himself drop down onto it and just surveyed the room.

"Here," she said as she sat next to him and handed him a cup of water.

"Ok, fire away. What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"Geez. Fine. I was born in San Diego to Manuel Diaz and Anastasiya Kuznetsov, on a sunny day- "

"Aurora." he said with sternness in his voice.

"Okay. When school ended,things were hard at home, Mom and Dad were always fighting. When I turned 18 in June they sat me down to have a 'heart to heart' as they so put it. They thought now that I was 18 and an adult that I would understand that they were getting divorced, and that they were leaving me the decision on who I would want to leave with. Dad moved to San Diego to be closer to his family and Mom left for Russia. I didn't , I still don't," her voice began to crack and her eyes began to water. "feel like I belong in either place. One I never visited, the other I just visited once a year. The only thing I seemed to agree about was letting me finishing school here. But neither wanted to stay."

At this point the tears manifested themselves and began to stream down her face. Benedict came closer and wrapped his arm around her. She took a deep breath and a sip from her water before continuing her story.

"So they bought this apartment for the year, with the agreement that at the end of the year I chose where I want to stay. I got the part time job to keep be busy, I told them that I didn't want their money. I really wanted nothing they could give me anymore."

"How long have you been alone here?" he said as he looked around. The place was pretty bare except some furniture here and there and the tv.

"I don't know. Like three months." He looked back at her.

"Why didn't you call, or send me a message?"

"Oh yeah, calling my friend that lives across an ocean would be a great idea. It would've made me feel lonelier, talking to a friend that couldn't just come down and see me." A lump formed in Benedict's throat. He knew what she was saying was true, and he could see that she had thought it out many times, and just brought her closer to him.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't know you were so alone for so long."

"Well," she said as she started to sit up. "That's why Jason was trying to talk to me today."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What happened?"

"I felt lonely. I was out in central park one day, crying. And I ran into him, and I wasn't so lonely for like a month. But when I realized I was just using him I told him that I couldn't see him anymore, and he was devastated. To say the least. He kept trying to call me, but I never picked up. Today was the first time I talked to him since I broke up with him."

"Wait." Benedict looked at her, "Did you sleep with him?"

"That's a bit personal, even for us."

"Aurora."

"What?!"

"Look don't get mad at me, just remember last year. He was in our theater class, and we had to admit to each other something that no one knew, he admitted that he was still a virgin, Aurora. If you did sleep with him than that would explain why he still wants to be around you. He fell in love with you and you used him. I think maybe you should talk to him. At least explain what happened to him. He's a nice guy, who just fell in love with you. I can tell by the way he looked at you."

Aurora brought her knees up to her chest and hid her face. "I'm such a fuck up. I was lonely I just wanted someone here with me and I chose the first one who gave me attention. UUGG. Why am I so stupid."

"Hey. You're not stupid," he said as he wrapped his arm around her.

"You were lonely I understand, but look I'm here now." She looked up at him and smiled through her tear stained face. He began to wipe away her tears. He didn't remember her skin being so soft.

"I have a great idea," he said. She just looked at him in anticipation.

"Lets do some shopping. Lets get some paint and paint this place up, buy some stuff to put in here. Lets make this dull place, our place. How about that?" She smiled and jumped up, "Let me change." she said as she got up and ran to the bedroom. He looked around and repeated what he said to himself .

_Our place._


	4. Yes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will soon be turning the rating on this story up as the coming chapters will be a bit more racy.  
> As always please comment it

Coming up the elevator with arms full of buckets of paint and posters the pair could not stop giggling or laughing as they told tales about their summer to each other. There was a stranger at her door. 

"Hello, can I help you?" she said as they approached her door. 

"UPS, I have a package for Aurora Diaz." the man replied. 

"That would be me." she said as she handed Benedict a bag for a free hand to sign for it. "Thanks." The box was big and heavy she had to slid it with her foot through the doorway. 

"Who is it from?" Benedict asked as he closed the door behind him and set the bags down next to the door and helped Aurora pick it up onto the coffee table. 

"Don't know, there's no return label." she said as she looked on the sides of the box. 

Just then there was a knock on the door. 

"I'll get it," he said, when he opened the door Tom was standing there. 

"Hello Benedict." he said with a smile on his face.

"Hello." Benedict said with no particular enthusiasm to see him. 

"Is Aurora home?" he asked. 

Benedict stepped to the side, "Yes, come in." 

"Hi Tom." she said not looking up from the box that she was currently defacing. 

"Hello,darling." he said as he sat on the couch. "What's in the box?" 

Benedict just rolled his eyes and sat across from Aurora on the love seat. 

"Don't know yet." She pulled out the tissueon the top and began to pull out at giant frame. 

She gasped and tears welled up in her eyes. "Aurora?" Benedict asked concerned.

"It's from my dad." she whispered. 

He got up and stood next to her, and Tom stood on her left side. It was a framed painted replication of Van Gogh's Starry Night Over The Rhone. Beautiful in detail, her father had set it in a gold frame with intricate details that swirled.

"There's something more in here," Tom said as he reached into the box. Aurora was too stunned staring at the painting to look over. 

"It's a letter. 'Aurora, I am truly sorry for the position that your mother and I have placed you in. I understand the confusion and anger that you are feeling, but please do not shut me out. I am still you're father and you have not answered any of my calls, and I am just concerned that everything is going well. There is an envelope in this box with some money so you will be able to buy everything that you need for your school year. Say hello to Ben for me, and please do not hesitate to call or ask me for anything.Te amo.' " 

"No." Aurora simply said with a tear already running down her face. 

"No?" Benedict asked baffled at what she meant. 

She slammed the painting back into the box "No. I don't want anything from him. We're sending it back." she said as shoved the box off the table. "I don't want anything they want to give me." 

"But Aurora-" Benedict started before she yelled back, "We're sending it back!" 

Tom stayed silent, knowing that he had no place to interject, just meeting them the same day. 

Not wanting someone to watch her cry she walked away to her bedroom and shut the door, leaving both of them alone in the living room. 

"I'm sorry. Did I come at a bad time?" Tom finally asked Benedict. 

He looked at him, before sighing. "No, you're fine." He quickly retold about Aurora's parents divorce and how he was trying to take her mind off of it. 

"I see." Tom said. He stood up and walked over to the bedroom. 

"What are you doing?" 

"I'm going to talk her out." he simply said and sat outside the bedroom door. 

"Aurora, darling" he said through the door, he could her her crying. "It's Tom, can we talk for a moment." 

"No." she said through sobs.

"Ok, then I will just talk to you. Aurora, I know what you're going through." 

"No you don't!" she said as he heard, what he assumed to be a shoe hit the door. 

"My parent's are divorced too."

Silence. Even Benedict was surprised and sat across from Tom. 

"They are?" she sniffled.

"Yes. When I was 13 they got divorced. It was hard. I felt just like you did. I felt angry and confused. But I had two sisters, we helped each through it. But I see you don't have any brothers or sisters, but you have Benedict and I here. But Aurora, this is a two way street, we can talk forever and tell you we will be here when you need to talk, but if you don't talk, it'll make it harder on you. You're keeping the emotions, feeling and thoughts bottled up and if you don't talk to someone about it, it'll keep eating you inside. That's why you're mad right now, you're not mad at your father for buying you a beautiful present and asking you to talk to him. You're mad at yourself right now for knowing that you're father loves you, and you have not been keeping in contact with him. Tell us what you are going through. What's going through your head right now?"

The door lock clicked and Ben looked over at Tom. They both got up and slowly opened the door to find her sitting on the edge of her bed, "I'm all alone." she simply whispered as she looked down at her feet.

Benedict sat next to her. "No you're not sweetie."  He wrapped an arm around her. 

"They left me," she said as she began to cry again. She curled up against Benedict and he could feel her sobs vibrate in his chest. "They were king and queen and I was the princess and they broke up. How can I believe in anything. They always fought but they always made up. They were high school sweethearts, they spent their entire lives together. They were everything I believed in, I never knew anything else in this work. Just our family. And they took it away. They left each other and they left me." 

"Oh sweetie," Benedict said as he ran his hand up and down her back to comfort her. "They didn't mean to hurt you. Sometimes things don't work out." 

Her tears had began to soak his shirt and he could feel the wetness on his chest along with her sobs, and he felt a pit in his stomach. There was never anything that she had gone through in the past four years that he was never able to cheer her up from. 

Tom came into the bed room with cups of water. "Here." he said as he sit on the other side of Aurora. "Have some water, it'll help." 

Aurora sat up and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I must look a mess by now. I feel like an idiot." 

"Don't," Tom said as he put his hand up to her face to wipe away her tears. "You look beautiful. Emotions are beautiful. So right now consider yourself, doubly beautiful."  

Aurora playfully shoved her shoulder into him. "Shut it." she said and finally stood up. "Ok. I'm done with emotions for the day. We have a living room to paint." 

The trio went back to the living room and placed down newspaper to get to work. The hours passed and before long hunger had gotten the best of them. Looking at their handiwork they smiled in achievement of what they had accomplished. 

"Well this is not at all what I thought I would be doing today." Tom said as he sat on the floor. 

"Oh." Aurora said. 

Benedict let out a chuckle as he sat on the floor next to him, he was warming up to him slowly. "What were you expecting then?" 

"Well," Tom blushed but looked away and quickly  changed the conversation. "So Aurora and you are flatmates?" 

"Flatmates?" Aurora asked as she sat in front of them. 

"It means roommates." Benedict explained. 

"Oh," Aurora laughed, "No, Ben here is my best friend. We've known each other for going on four years now. He just happens to be around a lot."

"Oh, that's why your father said to say hi to him." Tom said realizing the relationship between them.

Benedict looked away not knowing why what Aurora said hurt so much, and forced himself to concentrate on something else. 

"Why did you come down Tom?" he asked. 

" I..umm." he stumbled upon his words.   

Aurora laughed. "Are you ok? This is the first time since I met you that you have been at a lose of words." Benedict and Tom laughed with her. 

"Yes, well," Tom said. "I was coming down to ask you out to dinner. You know as a thank you for being nice to me, and bringing me home. "

Benedict looked at Aurora's face, and knew what her answer would be without even looking at her. 

"Yes." she said.

 


	5. Thank you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading  
> This chapter was inspired by this:  
> 
> 
>   
>  [ ](http://s830.photobucket.com/user/sketchbookthingz/media/GIFS/tumblr_inline_mt02leiybs1qz4rgp_zps5add55d5.gif.html)   
> 

"How about this one?" Aurora asked as she came back rushing from her bedroom. She wore a polka doted dress with flats. 

Benedict sat on the couch watching her ran back and forth as she was getting ready for her date with Tom.  _Today can not end fast enough._ he thought to himself. All day at school all she could talk about was the nervousness that she had over the date, and during theater class he just watched them flirt, and now he was sitting here while she picked what to wear for their date. 

"It looks good on you." he simply responded. 

"Ugg, no." She said and ran back into her bedroom. 

He let his head fall back and stare at the ceiling.  _How did I end up here? "_ Where are you going anyway?" he asked. 

"Asiate," she yelled from the bedroom. "By the way thanks for the advice. I spoke with Jason during music class, he was a bit heartbroken but he totally understood. We're working on a duet now for class. Now do me a favor." 

"What?" 

"Talk to Susan." 

Susan. He had forgotten about her. They dated the year before briefly before he left for home for the summer. She was sweet but he had made it clear he wasn't looking for anything serious, but she didn't feel the same. 

"She's in my music class too, and won't stop asking me about you. She wants to know if you're going to call her, or what. You did let her know you were breaking up with her when you left didn't you?" 

He let out a groan. "Sort of." 

"Sort of?" she said as she walked out of her bedroom. He looked back to answer her question but was stopped short when he saw her. She had combed her hair back with blue sapphire combs that he had given to her one Christmas, which let her long hair cascade down in curls. She wore a red silk tank top over a black lace skirt that ended just above her knees, and black pumps that made her two inches taller. 

"Wow." he simply said. "I've never seen you like this before." 

"Because you've never taken me out." She laughed. "What do you mean you sort of broke up with Susan?" 

"I told her that I had to go, I enjoyed our time together and that I would see her again next year." 

Mimicking him shes said "Did you sleep with her?" 

"I deserved that. No." 

The doorbell rang. 

"Oh my god, how do I look?" Seeing her like this made him jealous again. He never seen her this happy when she'd see him.  _Get over it._  

"You look beautiful." he said as he stood up and helped her put on her light black cardigan on. 

"Thank you," she said as she turned around and kissed him on the cheek. "By the way I was thinking about what Tom said yesterday." 

 "About the roommate things." she said noting the confused look on his face. "I think it would be a good idea if you moved it. I have that spare bedroom and it would be nice to not be alone in this place. What do you say?" 

Benedict looked around the apartment and back at her "I don't-" he started before she cut him off. " You were the one trying to get me to drop class 'lets spend more time together. It's our last year here' you said. Come on!" 

"Fine." he said giving into the worst impersonation of his British accent that he ever heard.

"Yay!" 

"I'll move my stuff in tomorrow." 

The doorbell buzzed again. 

"Oh my date. See you tomorrow." she said as she walked out leaving Benedict alone in their empty apartment. 

\---

Aurora giggled at another story Tom had told her when their entrees had finally arrived. 

"God, it looks so delicious," she said as she set her napkin on her lap. "I haven't gone out in such a long time." 

"Well, it was the best way I could think of to say thank you." 

"You keep saying that, but I don't really think there's anything for you to thank yet." Aurora said with sly smile on her face. 

"We will just have to wait and see then. Till then, tell me more about yourself." 

"Hmm," she said as she swallowed her meal. "What do you want to know?" 

"Well I don't know much about you, except that you go to an art school, you're name is Aurora and your parents are divorced. So anything besides that would new to me." 

She took a a drink out of her water. "Ok. Lets see." she took a deep breath. "My father is Mexican, my mother is Russian, I had a really good upbringing. Spoiled even. Being an only child I always what I wanted, but than again so did my mother. My father is an architect, my mother stayed home. She wanted to move from California to New York, so here I am. She forced me into piano lessons, and thought that I would be great in art school, that one decision that I do agree with." 

"If you don't mind me asking. What was that whole king, queen princess thing you were talking about yesterday?"

"It was a bedtime story my father used to tell me when I was kid. He made up this story how he was king, and my mother was a queen, and I the princess. It was just long and -" 

He reached across the table and took her hand into his. "It's ok. Lets talk about something else. How did you meet Benedict?" 

She let out a light laugh. "We were two outsiders in a school were everyone already knew each other. Freshmen year we had theater class together. He was an outsider and I was too, I had just moved in from California and everyone found me weird, he was in from the UK and didn't know anyone in school either. We just clicked." 

Tom nodded. Before they knew it they were eating dessert and on their way back to their apartment building. When entering the elevator Tom reached to press the 7 when Aurora pressed 10. "You've already seen my apartment building. It's my turn to see yours." 

Tom let out a chuckle at her smile. "You're wish is my command." he said as he let her off first and walked her to his door. 

Sitting on his couch Aurora took of her sweater and looked around. "Nice place." 

"Thanks." he said as he sat next to her. 

"Ok, Tom I have something to tell you. Don't take this the wrong way but I'm not looking for a relationship." 

"Oh, well, that's quite alright. It's ok." he began to mutter and Aurora giggled. 

"Sorry, you flustered is an adorable thing to see. What I'm trying to say, is that this summer I learned that I have to communicate what I want and not want, in order to not hurt other peoples feelings. I don't want a relationship right now because I don't think that I'm just ready to be emotionally invested in anyone. But I am attracted to you."

Tom looked at her as she talked not knowing where this conversation was going.  

"There's no pressure, but I was thinking, maybe we could be friends with benefits." 

Tom stopped for a minute to process this. "Are you joking?" 

"No. I'm not, believe me. I know this is sudden, but you're nice, sweet, and gorgeous, I felt that maybe you'd feel the same. We're both 18, there are certain things we want. I mean if it's alright with you."

Tom looked at Aurora's face, she was dead serious, and he didn't know what to say. He looked away thinking and when he turned around Aurora kissed him.

"Sorry," she said when she pulled away. "It looked like you were about to say no, but I wanted to at least have kissed you once." 

He grabbed her face and pulled her in again for another kiss pulling her body against his. She ran her fingers through his hair as he pulled her in letting themelves  be taken by the electic passion that was sparked. They pulled away for a breath of fresh air. "Ok." he said breathlessly. 

Aurora smiled and kissed him again. "Now let me give you something to thank me about."  She got on her knees in front of him and began to unzip his pants, letting out his already erect manhood and placing it in her mouth. He threw his head back and moaned as she worked it in and out of her mouth, as he reached down and tangling his fingers into her hair.

"That's enough." he said as he gave a gentle tug to her hair bringing her face up to his again. As they shared another passionate kiss she lifted her skirt up to straddle him, slowly teasing him with her moist mound. He moaned into her mouth with the sensations that were rushing through them both, and when she couldn't take the teasing either, she lowered herself onto him, slowly at first. As he removed her shirt she quickened her pace, both not wanting to prolong what was coming. 

"You're so beautiful," he muttered as he ran his hands over her breasts, cupping one as he sucked on the other one. He felt her tighten around him and knew that it was coming, she laid her body against his on the couch and buried her face into his neck, where she began to nibble and moan into. He began to pump faster wanting to get there at the same time. 

Just as he was about to tell her, she spoke up first. "I'm cumming." He pumped faster as he felt her walls begin to tremble and close around him. "I'm cumming." he replied and they both held onto each other as their bodies went limp into each others arms. 

They just sat there for a moment as they regained strength and breath. 

She sat up and they stared into each others eyes for a while before he kissed her again. "You were prepared for me to say yes tonight weren't you?" 

"What makes you say that?" she asked as she got off his lap and began to dress herself. 

"Well, you didn't wear any underwear." he said as he stood up and began to dress himself. 

"It was more wishful thinking than me assuming. But I'm glad you did take my offer." She said as she stood up and straighten out her skirt. 

" I am too." he said as he walked over and helped her with her cardigan running his hands  down her arms. 

"Well, I'm gonna go home now. Thanks for everything tonight." She said. 

"Let me at least walk you to your door." he said as he trailed behind her. 

They rode the elevator down in silence until Tom spoke up, "Can I ask you something?" 

"Sure thing, darling." she said imitating his accent. 

"Do you do this often? This whole friends with benefits thing?" 

She let out a sigh. "If I tell you something, will you not tell Benedict?" He nodded. 

"He's my best friend but there are things I don't tell him. He's become llike a brother and like brothers there are things you don't want them to know. I have had a 'friend' every semseter. Usually someone not in any of my classes, and agreed to the same thing. But I never told Benedict. " 

"I see." 

"Please. Don't." she said as she squeezed his hand. 

"I won't."

When they reached her door he felt like he had to thank her again and he did. She just kissed him and said "I told you I'd give you something to be truly thankful for." in a playful tone before retreating into her apartment. "See you tomorrow." 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your continued support!!  
> Please let me know what you do or do not like

"Ugg,what is in this box?" Aurora grunted as she let a box dropped on the living room floor. 

"My books." Benedict laughed as he came in behind her. "I told you that I should have hired movers to help us." 

"Hey! We're adults ok!" Aurora laughed. "We can do this together!" 

Benedict laughed as he sat next to her on the couch. "Are we almost done? How much stuff do you even have? It's not like you live in New York, you just visit." 

"Hey. New York is still my home, I spent most of my year here, I have to have my things so I feel at home. And yes. That was the last of it." he said as he scanned the boxes against the wall making a quick mental inventory of everything that he had. 

"Good," she said as she pulled out her cellphone from her pocket and ordered a pizza. "Lets watch something til it comes. I'm tired." 

She laid her head on his lap as she reached over to the coffee table for the television remote and began to scan the channels for something to watch. 

This felt comfortable to him, it was the first time since he was back that they alone like they used to be. He let his hand run through her hair before resting it on her shoulder. 

"So how did your date go?" 

She shrugged, "Ok, you know, we're just friends. He just wanted to take me out to dinner."

"Oh." Benedict said as he stared at the t.v. "So what are we watching?" 

"I dunno," she said as she handed him the remote, "I can't find anything I like. Your turn." 

He took the remote from her hand, letting his fingers brush up against her as he slowly took it from her. 

"Did you talk to Susan?" she asked as she shifted around and laid in his lap looking up at him. 

He let out a sigh as he began to scan through channels. "Sadly, I tried." 

"Tried?" Aurora let out a laugh "What does that mean." 

"It means that I saw her on her way to your music class, and tried to talk to her, and when I tried to explain to her that she should probably move on this year, as I had no feelings for her," at this point Benedict a laugh escape himself. "She kind of walked away." 

Aurora let a laugh out. "She walked away?" 

"Yeah." Benedict said looking down at her in his lap. 

Her eyes were closed as she started to laugh imagining the scene happening in their school halls.  _Kiss her_  a voice in his head told him, and he felt slowly inching his face down towards her when the doorbell rang. 

He sat up straight. "Are you expecting someone?" he asked Aurora. 

"No, and it can't be delivery we just called." She got up and walked over to answer the door, to find Jason standing there. 

"Jason. Oh my gosh I totally forgot. Come in." she said as she opened the door. 

"Well, I can come back some other time if you like." he said as he walked into the living room with a bass guitar in one hand and a notebook in the other. 

"No, no. Have a seat, we just ordered pizza. Ben, I'm sorry I forgot I told Jason to come over so we can get a start on that duet for Mr.Nicks class."

"Yeah, seeing how Aurora only plays piano, I don't have one, so I asked to come over." Jason explained.

Benedict looked at Jason studying his face and he no longer saw the gentleness in his face that he saw the a couple of days ago when he chased them down the hall. But he didn't see anger or contempt either. 

"How you been Jason?" he asked as he got him a cup of water. 

"Eh, same old me." he said as he took a sip of water and looked around the apartment. 

"I'll be back," Aurora said as she went to the bedroom. 

"What's with all the boxes?" Jason asked. 

"I'm moving in." 

"Oh." Jason said with wide eyes. 

"What?" Benedict asked noting something in his tone of voice. 

"Nothing. I just see why she broke up with me." 

Benedict almost chocked on his water. "No it's not like that. We're just friends." 

Jason looked at him with a confused look on his face. "Still?" 

"Here it is." she exclaimed as she came out of the bedroom with a red notebook and sat next to Jason on the couch. "Ok, let me see what you have before we start working out the music." 

Jason looked back at Aurora as he opened his notebook, when she wasn't looking he looked back at Benedict who was still staring at him. "I'll be in my room, I have to work on my art studies essay." 

"Are you sure you don't want to hear what we have so far?" Aurora asked not looking up from what she was writing. 

"No, it's ok. I'll hear the finish product so I don't ruin anything for anyone, wouldn't want anyone to steal your ideas now would we." he said as he took his leave. 

"Come on." Aurora said to Jason as she got up and got a chair and dragged it to her piano. It was placed against her ceiling to floor window which overlooked Central Park. She sat on her bench and began to play around some keys as Jason began strumming along. 

He closed his bedroom door listening to their jumble of music. Laying on his bed he stared at the ceiling, he refused to admit that he was in love with Aurora. He couldn't be in love with her.  _Sooner or later we have to say goodbye._

_\--_

Aurora woke up Saturday morning to smell of pancakes, rolling over she say that it was only 5 in the morning, but her stomach growled at her and she forced herself up. Walking into the kitchen she found Benedict making pancakes and eggs. 

"Man it's been so long since I had a real breakfast," she sat a the kitchen table pouring them cups of orange juice. 

"I actually had to run out to the 24 hour grocery mart because there was nothing in here Aurora. " he said as he sat to eat with her. 

"Why are you up this early anyways?" she asked in between mouth fulls of eggs and pancakes. 

"Still a tad bit jet lagged. Aurora this may sound weird but why were there nothing but toddler food in the cupboards?" 

Aurora laughed so hard at the facial expression he made she almost choked on her pancakes. She took a long sip from her orange juice. 

"You'll find out in an hour." she simply said as she kept eating. Benedict looked at her with an arched eyebrow. "Oh, just eat." she said. 

After they were done Aurora excused herself to take a shower, while he loaded the dishwasher, the doorbell rang. 

"I GOT IT!!" Aurora yelled as she came running out of her bedroom, her wet hair flying everywhere, she wore a pair of shorts and loose fitting t-shirt with her old Chuck Taylor's, they had a hole on the side of one of them but she refused to get rid of them. 

"Buenos dias Rosita." he heard her say from the kitchen, along with more Spanish that he couldn't understand. When he heard the door close he finally asked "Aurora what was that all about?" as he walked into the living room, where he found a little boy sitting on the couch. 

"Ummm..Aurora. Is there something else you forgot to tell me about his summer?" 

Aurora couldn't help but laugh again. "This is Javier, I'm his nanny on the weekends. His mom Rosa works two jobs on the weekends, cleaning hotel rooms in the morning and then offices at night. So I take care of Javier while she works." she said as she patted his head. 

He could see the admiration on the little boys face as he looked at her. "Javier, this is my friend Benedict." she said as she picked him up and carried him on her hip. "Hola." Javier said as he buried his face into Aurora's neck hiding behind her hair. She spoke to him in Spanish to coax him out. 

"We're going to a museum today," she said to him, "You excited?" He nodded and smiled at her. "Ok, let me get our backpack ok?" as she sat him down on the couch. 

"How old is he?" 

"Three." 

"Does he not talk much?" 

"Not really, he's really shy, but when he warms up to you he'll talk your ear off." Aurora answered as she packed a backpack with the toddler snacks that Benedict had questioned her about. 

"Is it okay if I come along?" 

"Sure, if you want to I'm taking him to that children museum across the park." 

Walking through the park Javier never let go Aurora's hand and clung to her side. As she would sing a song in Spanish, "It's a song his mom sings, she taught it to me to help him stay calm, he gets scared easily." she has explained when Benedict asked what she was saying. 

Once they arrived at the museum he let go of Aurora's hand and played with the exhibits interacting with other children. Benedict just stood to the side as he watched the look on Aurora's face while she watched Javier, the look on Javier's face when he would turn around to make sure that she was still there. 

On the walk back through the park to their apartment Javier began to complain that his feet hurt and Aurora had to carry him. When they reached the elevator he noticed that Javier had fallen asleep. 

"Here, let me help you." he whispered as she reached out and took little Javier into his arms, a little heavier than he thought he was. 

"I love nap time." Aurora said. "I sleep too. I never thought I would love sleeping in the middle of the day. Turns out it was made for me." 

They sit Javier down gently on Aurora's bed, and since hers was currently occupied she laid on Benedict's. He laid there with her in his arms feeling the slow rise and fall of her chest against his left side, and her breathe on his chest.  "There's something I want to talk to you about." he whispered. 

But she was already asleep, he kissed her cheek and let sleep slowly take him as well. 


	7. Soundproof Rooms and Guitars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song I used for this chapter is "wine red" by the hush sound  
> you can listen to it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r6MFfMEziE  
> I do not own it, I did not write it, I am only using it for the purpose of my story.

Their first month of school had happened quicker than they thought it would. Several dance and music rehearsals along with essays had kept them busy.

"Are you nervous?" Benedict asked her as they walked to theater class together.

"No, what makes you say that?" Aurora said as she bit her nails.

Benedict let a laugh out and reached over taking her hand out of her mouth. "Because that last time I saw you bite your nails was freshmen year when I met you."

"Ugg," she sighed. "I just didn't know the end of the month was coming so soon, I don't feel ready to perform the duet that we wrote." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked into class "I'm sure its ready for everyone to hear it."

"Thanks for the boost." she said as she took a seat on the stage next to Tom.

"Hey, guys." Tom said as they sat down.

"Hey." they both said. Tom leaned over to Aurora and whispered "Lets talk after class." She nodded in agreement.

The hour passed quickly to Aurora's astonishment, her nerves had got the best of her and the walk that she was dreading to her music class was finally here. Together the trio walked towards her music class, as the two boys assured and reassured her that everything would be okay.

"You'll be fine." Benedict assured her as he hugged her and walked away.

"So," Aurora said before walking into her class. "What did you want to talk about."

"Do you want to come over tonight?" Tom asked.

"Do you mean come over or," Aurora spoke in a hushed husky voice. "come over?"

"The second one." Tom said as he blushed and looked at his feet.

"Meet me here after class." she simply said and walked away.

"Ok." Tom said as he walked away.

As she walked in she was greeted by everyone staring at her, "What's going on?"

"We're taking this class to the theater class. You will all be performing on stage today." Mr. Nicks said.

\--

Aurora sat next to Jason biting her nails. "It'll be okay." Jason whispered, she just nodded and kept biting.

Sitting in the library Benedict heard music coming from down the hall, which he found strange as the music class was not on this floor. He found himself compelled to get up and find out where it was coming from. Walking down the hallway he found himself in front of the theater. Peering through the glass he saw Susan on stage singing and knew that this had to be Aurora's music class. He opened the door cautiously as to not make noise or get caught, and quickly sat in a chair in the back row.

"Thank you Susan. Up next Jason and Aurora." Mr. Nicks announced.

"That's us," Jason said as he stood up and gave Aurora his hand. "Oh fuck it." she muttered to herself and followed him onto stage, where two stage hands were moving the school piano onto stage for her.

"Thank you." She whispered to them as she sat on the bench and adjusted the microphone. Jason picked up a bass guitar, while another boy that Benedict did not recognize came onto stage with a guitar.

"This is 'Wine Red'." Jason said. He looked back at Aurora waiting for her to start.

Aurora looked at Jason, who nodded at her, "It'll be okay." he mouthed. She looked back at the piano keys and took a deep breath, "You can do this." She whispered to herself.

She let her hands fall onto the keys

" _Who shot that arrow into your throat, who missed the crimson apple, it hung heavy on the tree above your head, this chaos, this calamity this garden once was perfect, give me your immortality to me, I'll set you up against the stars._ " she sang along with her piano, when Jason and the other kid kicked in with their guitars.

" _Gloria, we lied, we can't go on, this is the time, this is place to be alive_." Jason sang.

Benedict leaned forward, before his eyes the nervous Aurora he had seen an hour earlier was gone and replaced with someone else who enjoyed performing. She had a huge smile on her face as her finger moved on the piano keys and she looked up at Jason with a smile as they sang the chorus together in perfect time. " _This sea is wine red, this is the death of beauty, the doves have died, the lovers have lied._ " 

Aurora sang again _"I cut the arrow from your neck, stretched you beneath the tree, among the roots and babys breath, I covered us with silver leaves_." 

He had never watched her play the piano, it was as if something else came over her. They sang the last chorus and ended the song.

"Good job, guys." Mr. Nicks said. " Great timing, good lyric writing, but this year I want you all to reach deep down inside and write something that will make us all know each other a little better. Something that will make us all connect to each other." He stood up on the stage and looked down at them all. "Music is about connecting. You pour your heart into it and make others feel it." The bell rang and Benedict took that as his cue to sneak back out to the library to gather his things as Mr. Nicks continued his lecture.

Benedict stood outside the theater waiting for Aurora to come out. She looked up surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"I have a study period remember?" he said as he pointed down the hall to the library.

"Oh," she said as she looped her arm into his.

"What's on your mind?" he asked noting how distracted she was.

"Mr. Nicks said that for this years final he wants me write a song, and to play it on a guitar. He thinks that I hide behind my piano and that I need to learn how to connect with my audience. 'Bear your soul' he said."

"Well, I think you sounded wonderful."

"You heard us?" Aurora said looking up at him.

"Couldn't help it. I realized that I had never watched you play piano, you look so comfortable there."

"Uggg...that's what he said too."

"How about milkshakes?," he suggested knowing that those always cheered her up. "Banana nutella milkshakes, just like you like them."

Aurora bit her lip, "Sorry, actually I'll meet you up at the apartment. I have a dance rehearsal today."

"Oh." he said trying to mask his disappointment.

"Rain check?"

"Yeah."

"I'll see you later, okay." She kissed his cheek and walked up the stairs to the second floor.

"Hey." Tom said as he saw her walking down the hallway. "I thought you were in that class-" Aurora grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the music class and walked him to the doors on the other end.

"What are those?"

"Sound proof rooms where we can practice when it gets too noisy. Here." She said as she handed him a guitar. "You're going to teach me how to play."

"Well, you're in luck because I know how."

Aurora looked at him with a smile on her face as she opened the door for him. Inside it was dark except for a light on the ceiling and a bench. She walked in after him and locked the door.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "You're not teaching me how to play today, we're doing something else." Seeing now what was the point of their being in the sound proof room he pinned her up against the door as he kissed down her neck. She let out a moan as he nibbled on the sensitive flesh and began to unbutton his shirt. He let her stand on her own  as he unbutton her pants and she his. Taking her panties off he ran his nails into her thighs anticipating what was coming. Kissing her he lifted her shirt off about her head and she undid her bra. Wrapping her legs around him again he stepped forward and pinned her between him and that door, and gently pushed his way in as she moaned into his mouth.

She tangled her fingers into his hair as she kissed his neck, and giving it an occasional bite when he thrusted hard into her. "You feel so good." she moaned into his ear. He kept his dug his fingers into her thighs as he began to pump faster, the faster he went the more he felt her walls begin to tighten on him. "Fuck." he muttered as she bit his neck again "I'm almost there." she moaned loudly.

That was all he was waiting to hear as he pressed himself against her and picked up the pace. "Oh, Tom." she moaned as he felt her begin to orgasm sending spasms around him, as he came. He used all the strength that he possibly could to put her down gently and sat on the bench as he tried to catch his breath again, and she slid slowly down onto the floor.

"I really needed that." She said with a chuckle. He just looked at her and let out a small laugh. They helped each other find their clothes in the pile that they had made on the small floor, taking turns getting dressed as not to hit the other with an elbow or knee in such a closed space.

"So," she said as she put her shirt on. "You play guitar?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I actually need a tutor." She unlocked the door and made sure the coast was clear as they walked out of the room.

"Do you actually need a tutor, or is it just an excuse to do what we do?" he asked. She let out a laugh, "Sorry, really mean it. I need to learn guitar by the end of the year."

"Well then, do you want to buy one on the way home?" he asked as they walked out of the school.

"Sure."

\--

Walking out the elevator Aurora and Tom couldn't stop laughing.

"Did you see the look on her face when I asked if all guitars came with six strings?" she said in between breaths.

"That was so mean." Tom said in between breaths, as she put her key into the door lock.

"No, mean is you grabbing a guitar and singing 'Hey there Delilah' to her and at the end is saying 'Do you think my girlfriend will like it.'" Tom and Aurora both laughed harder as she opened the door.

"Honey, we're home." Aurora said as she walked in and place the guitar down next to the door.

"Hello." Tom heard an male voice with a heavy accent say, and he saw Aurora freeze in place.

"Hello, honey. You're fathers' here." Benedict simply said.


	8. Awkward dinners and Vodka tears

"Hi daddy." she simply said. 

"Hi Tom." Benedict said confused as to why he was there. 

Aurora quickly regained her thoughts. "I ran into Tom after dance rehearsals and I told him about what Mr. Nicks said. He's gonna teach me how to play guitar, he even helped me chose one." 

Tom quickly agreed with everything Aurora. "That's why we were laughing so hard," he added. "She couldn't play a string to save her life." 

Aurora opened the door again, "See you tomorrow Thomas." she simply said. He could take a hint, "Oh yes. Have a nice evening. Mr. Diaz. Ben." 

Aurora's dad stepped forward. "Don't be rude. Let the poor boy stay." he said as he held out his hand to Tom. "Manuel Diaz. I don't believe we have met." 

"No sir, we have not, but I have heard great things about you. Thomas. Thomas Hiddleston, I got to school with Benedict and Aurora." He said as he shook his hand not wanting to be rude.

He could see where Aurora's black hair came from, along with her eyes. They shared the same hazel eyes that seemed to read what you were thinking, and suddenly he felt slightly uncomfortable. " I should actually head home. I got a big paper to write for one of my classes and I should get started. I'm pretty sure you have some catching up to do with your daughter and I would not want to be in the way. It was lovely meeting you." he said as he took his leave. 

"It was wonderful meeting you as well." he simply said as Tom walked out of the apartment. 

She took her coat off and hung it up. "I was going to call you today. I swear." she said as she walked into the kitchen for a cup of water. 

"Aurora, amor. I'm just here to see how you're doing. I had some business here in town and I couldn't leave without seeing you." 

"Well you saw me." she said as she sat at the kitchen table. 

"Lets go out for dinner. Like we used to. Please." he practically begged his daughter. She looked up and saw the pained look on his face, she had only seen that look when her parents fought and she felt guilty. 

"Okay." she whispered. "Let me change." 

As Aurora walked back to her bedroom to get dressed he sat on the couch next to Benedict. 

"Be honest, how has she been doing?" he asked, knowing Benedict had never been one to lie to him. Over the years he had warmed up to the boy. At first he questioned his intentions, but one night when he and his wife fought and she walked out, spending the night somewhere else, he awoke to hear Aurora crying in the living room. Something he never heard his daughter do, he crept into the living room, to find her in Benedict arms as he comforted her.  She had called him and snuck him in not having anyone else to talk to. From that night on Manuel made it a point to always let Benedict around, he knew that he was her rock. 

Benedict took a deep breath in, and shook his head. "To be honest with you, I don't really know myself. I feel like she slowly is shutting me out, and we live in the same apartment. It's weird. I've never seen her this guarded before. She just doesn't seem to want to express emotions anymore." 

Manuel shook his head. "Thank you for you honesty. You've always been good friend to my daughter." 

"She is my best friend and I'm just worried about her," Benedict turned around and looked at this man he had come to know the past four years. "Why did you lie and say you were in town for business, why not just tell her that I called you?" 

Manuel put his hand on his shoulder. "You are the last person that she trusts and lets in at this time, for me to say you called me would break her heart and trust in you. I couldn't do that." 

"I'm ready." She said as she walked out wearing a black dress that ended at her knees with black leggings underneath and a mini jean jacket and black flats and her hair in a ponytail. 

Both of them stood up from the couch as she came out. Her fathers eyes began to tear up. "I'll go hail us a cab." he said as he walked out. 

"Did I say something wrong?" Aurora asked confused as she looked at Benedict.

"No. He's just worried about you, this is a tough time for him too." he said as he fixed the collar on her jean jacket. She looked up at him with tears welling in her eyes. "I don't mean to hurt him. I'm just-" 

"It's okay. Come on. He's waiting for us." he said as he put on his jacket and walked her downstairs. 

\--

Dinner was every bit uncomfortable as Aurora had thought it would be. Her father and herself kept trying to talk about anything, but everything seemed to remind them of what had happened. The trio stood outside of the restaurant on the curb as her father hailed a taxi.

As one began to pull up Aurora walked up to her father "Te amo." she simply said and held him in her arms. Manuel was taken back in surprise and tears welled into his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. "It's not your fault," she said in between sobs. "She wanted to leave. Let her leave, we don't need her."

Manuel ran his hand over his daughters head. "She loved you very much, but she has things she has to work out mi amor." "No, she never wanted to be there. I remember. All the fights, she would always leave. She was just waiting for the right moment."

Benedict walked over to the hailed the taxi man, "Just give us a moment." he said as he handed him a twenty.

Manuel kissed the top of her head. "I love you very much, and whenever you're ready you talk to me okay. You can even just show up if you want, let me know when and I'll buy you a ticket."

Aurora nodded as they began to part, he put his hand on either side of his daughters face and wiped away her tears. "Now, you're too beautiful to be crying." She laughed as she reached up and began to wipe his eyes. "And you're too macho to cry papi."

They both laughed and he kissed her forehead, "Do me a favor, break some hearts, have yours broken. You can't stop living life just because of what your mother did. It's like you children say 'There are plenty of fish in the water.' Don't get stuck in a pond not seeing the rest of the fish." She hugged him furiously again before letting go and kissing his cheek. "I love you, and you're craziness. I'm sorry I didn't call. I'll visit you soon." as she let him go and got into the taxi as Benedict held the door open. 

"Take good care of her." Manuel said to Benedict as he got in and closed the door behind him. 

\--

The ride home had been silent. Aurora went straight to her room as soon as he had opened the front door, where she locked herself in.

He laid on the couch, feeling shut out again. He didn't even know he had fallen asleep until he heard cluttering around in the kitchen. He looked up towards the bookcase to see it was two in the morning. 

"Where is it?!" he heard her hiss. He got up and walked over to the kitchen to find Aurora rummaging through the cupboards.

"Aurora? What are you looking for." 

"The rest of it. Where is it." She turned around to face him. 

She had been drinking. He could see the glaze in her eyes and smell it on her breath.

"Aurora, come to bed. you're tired and stressed."

"No! I need to find my other bottle." she said as she sat on the floor and started to cry. He came over and tried to hold her but she pushed him away. "I ruin everything, don't touch me!" 

"You don't, Aurora please. Come to bed with me." She just began to cry as he scooped her up and took her to her bedroom. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his chest.

He laid her down gently onto her bed , "Don't leave me alone!" she cried and held onto his hand. "Please. Everyone leaves me."

"I won't leave you." he said as he sat on the bed with his back against the headboard. "I'll stay here if you want."

"I love you, you know." she said, Benedict looked down at her, "Aurora you are really drunk right now." 

"So," Aurora said as she sat up and put her head on his shoulders. "But it makes my mouth speak before my head thinks. And just know I truly love you more than you will ever know."

"Aurora-"

"Shhh." she said as she put her finger to his lips and straddled him, "I've been wanting to do this for a long time." And kissed him, sparking an electric pulse through his being. He brought up his hands and pulled her closer, getting lost in the passion. She began to grind her hips towards his as she nibbled on his bottom lip. "Take me." she whispered into his ear as she took his shirt off and began to bite on his neck. 

"I want to so bad," he said as he took her up and laid her on her back and pinned her hands down. "But I truly love you, and you're drunk. If you asked me to love you back it'll be because it's what you actually want to. When you ask me to love you back sober, I would give you my soul if you asked. But I will not let us do this because of some reckless abandonment caused by drink." he said.  

She turned her face away as she cried again. "Please go." she whispered. 

He let her go and got up from the bed as she curled up into a fetal position and cried. 

"I love you." he said as he closed the door. 

He laid on his bed hearing her cry until she cried herself to sleep, knowing that nothing would be the same between them when morning came. 


	9. 5 o'clock mornings & Milkshakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always please let me know what you like, no like
> 
> this chapter was inspired by this  
> again as always, not mine, let me know if its yours, will credit  
> 
> 
> [ ](http://s830.photobucket.com/user/sketchbookthingz/media/GIFS/tumblr_mbt1kklT7u1roe6alo1_500_zpse5fe2af5.gif.html)

Benedict was awaken by the blaring sound of an alarm. Not his, he never set one. He got up and walked down the hallway to Aurora's room. "Aurora?" he said as she opened the door. 

The room was empty, bed was made. But she wasn't there. He walked over to the night stand and turned off the alarm. "Aurora?" he asked as he went back into the hallway and checked the bathroom to find that empty as well. Walking into the kitchen he found a note in her handwriting.

_Early dance rehearsal, see you in class._

He re-read the note two, three, four times before crumpling it up and throwing it into the garbage can. 

\--

"I'm cumming," Aurora moaned out loud as she arched her back with Tom underneath her. "Oh no you don't," he said as he sat up, put his hands on her back and flipped her over so he would be on top, once there he slowed down. 

"We've been doing this together, now, don't get selfish darling." he said. Aurora just laughed as she let him take his time, enjoying it every bit as he did. He trialed kisses from her neck onto her breasts and teased her nipples with his teeth as he pumped slowly in and out of her. She arched her back at the combination of all the sensations, "Oh Tom" she moaned. 

"I love the way you say my name," he said as he began to pump harder, she ran her hands through his hair, he sat up and took them into his hands, pinning them down on either side of her. He slowly lowered his body onto hers with one shift thrust. "Are you ready," he whispered into her ear, she just nodded against his neck having been ready for a while, and he quickened his pace. 

"Yes, harder." she grunted as she began to thrust her hips up towards him in sync, and bit his bottom lip.  "Fuck, Aurora." he moaned as he bit into her neck and released himself inside of her, feeling her spasm underneath him having achieved orgasm as well. 

They laid there for a moment as they regained breath before he laid down next to her. He looked over at his night stand. "Five in the morning. I think this might be the best morning ever." 

Aurora let out a chuckle as she sat up. "I'm going to take a shower and head out. " 

Tom nodded, "Yeah wouldn't want to be late for class. Now would we," as he got up and got dressed. 

\--

Walking into film studies class Benedict couldn't spot Aurora. He found an empty seat in the back and sat next to someone he remembered from the year before. 

Just as the Professor McKesson was about to close the door Aurora ran in. Cheeks flushed from running down the hallway, hair wet, books in hand and scarf around her neck. "Sorry, sorry." she said as she ran in the doorway and took the first available seat in the front row. 

"So glad you could join us on time Ms. Diaz. Do that again and you'll be running into the Administrators office, am I understood? " 

"Yes, Professor." she said as she opened her notebook and fished a pen out of her sweater pocket. 

Benedict took out his phone to send her a quick message but quickly advised himself against it.   _If she needs space just give it to her_  he told himself. 

\--

The bell rang and everyone rushed out the door. Benedict stayed sitting or a while, letting everyone flock out the room as to avoid being knocked over. He looked up to find Aurora standing over him. "Why are you still sitting there. We're going to be late for class." 

He stood up, "Are you-" "I was drunk," she cut him off. "I'm sorry for what I said and did. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, you are still my best friend and we live in the same apartment. Now. Can we please get to class." 

A lump formed in his throat, he was unable to process how she was just able to treat this situation like it never happened. He found the strength and stood up. "Lets go." was all he said as he walked her to her dance class.

 --

"How about those milkshakes?" Aurora beamed as she walked out of her music class and looped her arm into his. 

"Sure." he said as they walked out of the building back home. 

"Oh no, lets have some burgers! Oh, yes burgers!! I haven't had one in a long time." 

Benedict let out a slight chuckle. "What?" Aurora asked. 

"Nothing," he said as he looked at her. "I just love that you love milkshakes and burgers." Aurora gave a huge smile at him. 

"Come on," she said as she practically dragged her best friend behind her. "Lets get to the Candy Shop before it get crowded." 

\--

Aurora and Benedict sat in the apartment in silence. She was curled up against one side of the couch, channel surfing, as he sat on the other side just staring at her. 

"Is there something on my face." she asked not looking at Benedict, seeing him in the corner of her eye. 

"Nope." he said as he stared at television set, when the doorbell rang. 

"That's probably Jason or Tom." Aurora said as she stood up and went to open the front door, plopping the remote on an empty space next to Benedict. 

"Hey Aurora," Ben heard multiple voices say, one he recognized as Tom's voice, another as Jason's, and then he heard another voice, a female voice. 

"Benedict, we have guests. Be nice." she said as she walked past the couch to her piano with everyone in tow behind her. 

"Hey," he said as she stood up and nodded at Jason and Tom, and saw Susan. "Hello Susan." 

"Hello Ben." she said without looking at him and sitting on Aurora's piano bench. 

"Alright," Aurora said as she sat on the floor. "How do I play this damn thing," she put the guitar strap around her and settled it onto her lap as she sat crossed legged. 

Tom sat behind her "Like this," he said as he took her hands into his and placed them on the correct places. Jason let out a laugh. 

"Man I can't believe that you waited this long to learn guitar." he as he looked at Tom and Aurora. 

"Well my piano was all I ever needed thank you very much." she stuck her tongue out at him. 

Susan laughed. "Well think about it as a portable piano. You can take it where ever you go." 

Benedict retreated to his room, knowing that for the remainder of the year, the days would be this awkward. 


	10. Can you come over?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, please let me know what you do and don't like  
> this chapter was inspired by, as always its not mine, found it, i'll credit you if its yours  
> [](http://s830.photobucket.com/user/sketchbookthingz/media/GIFS/tumblr_m1630bPnad1r4ghkoo1_500_zps51e56681.gif.html)

Winter had crept up on everyone faster than they all would have liked. Snow began falling the weekend before Thanksgiving which neither of them had seen happen in a couple of years.

"Looks like we’ll be having a white Christmas this year." Aurora said as she sat next to Benedict on the couch. "What are we watching?"

"Well I couldn’t really find anything on except this Charlie Brown Christmas special. Did you want to see if there’s anything you like?" He asked as he pulled his hand out of the blanket that he sat under to hand her the remote. The heater had been broken and they weren’t able to have anyone come over for another two days to fix it.

"I actually love these Charlie Brown specials," she said as she curled up to one side of the couch with a mug of hot chocolate. Halfway through the special she began to shiver from the cold.

"Here," Benedict said as he scooted over and unfolded his blanket and handed her an end.  
“Thanks.” She curled up against him with her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her. It was the first time in months that their apartment felt like a home. It was usually filled with silence as they moved around each other like ghost, and both chose to ignore it.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Benedict said as he reached over and got a pile of papers off the coffee table. "Something came for you." He said he rummaged through the papers and found the yellow envelope. “Here it is I think its from your father.”

"I’ve been waiting for that. " she said as she sat up and took it from his hands "Last time we talked he told me he had mailed it to me but I guess with the snow it just took longer to get here." She held it in her hands as she turned it around and around. Just staring at it.

“Aren’t you going to open it?”

Aurora looked up at Benedict and laughed. “Yes.”

It was a card with tulips drawn on it with some Spanish written on it as well. “What’s that say?”he asked pointing to the front of the card. Aurora read it out loud in English “You are always in my thoughts and heart. Full of love.” she looked at Benedict’s confused face. “It makes better sense in Spanish.”

He let out a chuckle. “I bet it does.”

Opening up the card Aurora took an over sized slip into her hands and stared at it with a smile on her face. Being a traveler Benedict knew right away what it was. An airline ticket.

He scooted in closer towards her to read over her shoulder. It was dated the first day of winter break when school would let out for two weeks up until New Years Eve, the destination San Diego, California.

He let out a chuckle, “That’s the same day I leave for winter break. We could share a cab. “

Aurora just stared at the ticket in her hand before whispering, “That would be nice.” He wrapped his arm around her again, “Come here. I’m glad that you are going to be spending some time with your father. I’m glad that you’re talking to him, and I think it would do you some good to get some California sun.”

She smiled and settled up against him laying her head on his chest. “Thanks.”

"For what?"

"I know it was you that called him back in September. As much as I hated you back then, just know that I appreciate that you did, because of you, my dad and I have had the best relationship in years."

"You knew?" Benedict asked with wide eyes.

"Of course I knew. My dad never pushes people into talk to him, unless he has reason to. My entire life if I ignored my dad he never chased me, for him to show up, when I know for a fact he has no more business in New York only meant one thing. That you called him. I admit I was angry for a moment, but I realized that it was because you care. So thank you." She said and kissed him cheek and wrapping her arms around his waist laying her head on his shoulder.

He pulled her closer to him, “Aurora,” he said gently as he as placed his hand on her cheek to slowly raise her face up so that he was looking into her hazel eyes. “We need to talk.” he simply said.

She let out a sigh. “Yeah, we do.” and straightened up. “You start.”

"Aurora, I love you, and I know that you love me too. What I don’t understand is why you keep running away from this, but you pull me back. I need to know if we’re just wasting our time here."

She sat on her knees in front of him and kissed him. The passion that had sparked the night she was drunk,  wasn’t there. It was replaced with real genuine emotions of love and caring, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. She took his face into her hands and pulled back staring into his eyes in between their labored breaths.

"I love you more than you will ever know-" she said when she was cut off by Benedict rushing forward knocking her onto her back on the couch and kissing her again.

"That’s all that matters." he said in between kisses, it was when he moved on to kiss her neck that she was able to get a word in edgewise.

"Benedict, we really have to talk though." she moaned as he nibbled on her neck.

”Lets talk later.” he kissed her mouth again as his hands came up onto her waist slowly starting to inch up, when there was a knock on the door.

"There’s someone at the door." Aurora moaned.

"So." he whispered as pulled her up "Lets go to my room, we won't hear the knocking there."

They got up and Benedict took her hand kissing her again as he lead her towards the hallway, and another knock.

"Ugg! Go away." Aurora said laughing at the mystery guest, as she went in to kiss Benedict again, a thick Russian accent yelled through the door. "That’s no way to talk to your mother." And Aurora froze in her tracks with eyes wide open. Benedict turned around and saw the look on her face. Given the history between those two he knew that this day would not end well.

—

The trio sat at the kitchen table with cups of tea in front of them. Aurora stared at the tea cup in front of her. The silence and discomfort that had disappeared from the apartment half and hour ago slowly crept in.

"Really Aurora, you should just come live with me. Get out of this awful dreaded place," her mother finally said as she surveyed the apartment.

"This awful dreaded place is my home, mother." Aurora said through clenched teeth.

Anastasiya looked back at her daughter with anger in her eyes appalled that she would be talked at in such as way. "We should continue this conversation in private,” she said as she looked at Benedict.

He looked at Aurora who wouldn’t look up from her tea. “I will be in my room.” he simply said as he walked away.

When he was out of earshot, she took her jacket off and sat across from her daughter. “Look at me.” she said. Aurora looked up, her mothers blue eyes stared into her’s coldly, her mothers newly dyed blonde hair was just as long as hers. “Are you going to cry? Ugg. You’re just as weak as your father.”

"DON’T YOU DARE BAD MOUTH HIM HERE!" Aurora yelled as she stood up. "Don’t you dare, after everything don’t you dare."

Anastasiya laughed at her outburst. “What do you want mother. Why are you here?”

"I’m your mother, I need to check up on you."

"You act like I’m some puppy you left at a pound while you vacationed. I am a human mother. "

"Yes, your outbursts are reminding me of how much like your father you are. Letting your emotions get the best of you."

"Just because you can’t feel anything doesn’t mean you get to bad mouth the rest of us."

Anastasiya simply stood up and slapped her daughter. Aurora held onto her face with her right hand as she looked up at her mother with tears in her eyes stinging almost as bad as her flesh. “How dare you. I loved your father, but you want to know what, love isn’t always enough. I can see that he filled your head with his little romantic stories growing up, and I will take the blame for that. But don’t you think for one second that your emotions will take care of you. Love isn’t always enough Aurora. And if you feel so inclined to judge me for thinking with my head rather than my heart, so be it. But don’t cry to me when you experience the heart ache yourself. You are right I made a mistake coming here. I was looking for my daughter, not you.” she simply gathered her things and put her coat on and left her daughter sitting at the kitchen table. “Goodbye Aurora,” she said with calmness as if nothing had happened, and walked out of the apartment.

Benedict waited a couple of minutes before coming out his room when he heard the front door close. He knew that from past occasions conversations between the two of them never ended well.

He made his way to the kitchen “Aurora?” he asked gently, but did not get a response back. He walked into the kitchen to find her sitting in the same chair with the cup of tea in front of her. She didn’t move or look up at him. He sat in the chair across from her. “Aurora?”

She looked up and he saw the red mark on the side of her face, “What happened? Are you okay?” he asked as he came over to hold her.

"I’m fine." she said as she pushed him away and began to walk to the bedroom.

"Aurora, you obviously are not. What happened?"

"Nothing happened. My mother was being my mother," she simply said as she walked into her bedroom and let herself fall onto her bed.

"Aurora, you’re doing it again." Benedict said as he stood at the doorway.

"Doing what?" she said apathetically as she stared at the ceiling.

"You’re blocking me out, Aurora. I thought that we would work through this, but you just are refusing to let me in. There was a time where I didn’t have to have to pull at threads to get you to talk to me."

Aurora just stared at the ceiling as if she didn’t hear what he said. “Aurora. Please talk to me.”

"Ben, please leave me alone." she simply muttered as she curled up under her blankets. "Or leave if you don’t like it."

He stared at her in disbelief. “Are you asking me to go?”

"In so many words, yes."

Benedict stared at the bed lump that she had become with hurt, “If that’s what you want.” he said as he walked into the bedroom and grabbed his coat.

When the front door slammed Aurora reached over and grabbed her phone from the night stand.

"Hello?" Tom asked on the other end.

"Hey, can you come over?"

\--

Tom had her pinned against her bedroom door as he kissed down her neck. "Oh Ben." she moaned. He stopped for a moment and laid her down on the bed. 

"What's going on." she said as she sat up. He stood at the door just looking away from her. 

"I don't think we should do this anymore." 

"What why?" she said as she scrambled for a tshirt to put on her naked body. 

"For one," he said as he put on his sweatpants, "You keep calling me Ben. And two, I now am realizing what this is all about. Why you do this whole friends with benefits thing. Aurora, it's unhealthy." 

"What?" she spat at him angerly. "You don't know me." 

"Actutally, yes I do." he said as he rovered his eyes over her body.  

"Ok, what is it?" she said humoring for the moment. 

"Aurora, you use this to run away from your feelings, and I realize that now. I can tell when you guys fight, when you're faced with something that you don't want to deal with because you call me." 

Aurora sat silently as she looked down at the feet, at the night stand, at anything but Thomas. "Tell me it's not true and we could go at again, but the fact is you called Ben's name at least 5 times since I've been here. You're in love with him, and you don't know how to deal with it. I'm telling you to deal with it." 

She finally looked up at him, "Look, I know what I do, isn't the best way to manage what I have, but I do. Okay. It's just what I do. He's leaving anyways, this is his last year here." Thomas sat next to her realizing what this was all about now. 

"You know, heartbreak is part of it all. And you never know you might like it." He said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders bringing her close. "But as your friend, I am telling you, talk to Ben, and I also am declining this offer to continue doing what we were doing, and starting over our friendship." 

Aurora looked up him, "Are you sure?" "Yeah. You're a nice person, great to be around. I think we should leave it at that." She nodded in agreement. 

"Sorry. For dragging you into this." 

"You didn't drag me into anything, I said yes remember." 

Aurora laughed, "I think I should head home now. But promise me that you'll deal with whatever it is that is happening."  She just nodded as they sat there for a moment. 

"Alright, it's getting cold here." he laughed as he got up "And I forgot to bring a shirt," as he crossed his arms across his chest. When he opened Aurora's bedroom door, to find Benedict standing on the other side. Benedict looked up, and saw the scene in front of him. 

Aurora raced up, "Ben, I can ex-" she was cut off by Benedict taking a swing at Tom who stumbled back onto her bed. 

"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" Benedict yelled as tears streamed down his face. 

"Sort of, I hav-" she started again, only to be cut off by him. 

"How long, Aurora." he demanded. 

Thomas stood up, "Aurora, tell him the truth." 

"What is he talking about?" Benedict demanded. 

"Look just let him go home, this fight really is between you and me. Please." Aurora begged. Benedict stood to the side without saying a word as he let Thomas pass, leaving the aparment. 

"So, where you planning on sleeping with him after you slept with me today?" Benedict coldly said not looking at Aurora, and she felt a lump form in her throat. 

He let a slight chuckle out as he stared up at the ceiling. "I was a fool to think that maybe you did love me back. I thought maybe if you had said it back, you would actually mean it. But I see that you're not Aurora anymore. You're someone else. You're not the same girl I fell in love with." 

"Ben- " "Please don't. I understand now. Jason probably wasn't your first was he? How many others Aurora? Did I just punch Tom over something trivia when he's just one in a long line for you, or because you actually love him." 

She stared at him, unable to find words to say. Unable to cry, unable to break down. Unable to say what she really wantede to say. Instead she shut the door. 


	11. Taxi Cab Confessionals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was inspiried by  
> [](http://s830.photobucket.com/user/sketchbookthingz/media/GIFS/tumblr_inline_muq6piDql51r6pq65_zpsdbc951ea.gif.html)  
> As always please tell me what you and do not like.  
> The song I used for this chapter is "I want tears" from Michelle Branch you can hear it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJkWtJU1KzM

The days passed by slower that Aurora had wanted them to. Benedict hadn't returned to their apartment since that night, and she made sure that the took opposite routes at school as not to run into him. She didn't know what to do or what to say to anyone, so she naturally shut herself out again. 

The days to the winter vacation seemed to crawl at a stand still, and Aurora wanted to be able to fall into a hole and fall away from everything. But it never happened. 

When the day finally arrived, she found herself confused about what to pack. Was it going to be sunny, raining? she couldn't make up her mind on what to take and what to leave. She was almost completely packed when she heard a knock at the door. 

"Coming." she yelled as she came to the front door. She opened it to find Benedict standing there. 

Both just stood there looking at each other without saying a word. "I have to pack, most of my stuff is still here and I left behind my key." he simply explained not looking at her. 

She moved back and let him come through the door. He went straight to his bedroom. The next hour was the most silent that it ever had been in that apartment. 

Benedict was standing on the curb waiting for a cab when Aurora came out shortly after him with her luggage in tow. She looked like she had something to say, but stood still at the door. 

As a cab finally approached he went over and picked up her bag. "Come on," he said as she placed hers and his luggage into the trunk of the cab. 

"It's ok, I can wait for another one." she began to protest as he held the door open for her. 

"Aurora, please get in the taxi." She looked into his eyes and just nodded as she got in. 

"JFK." Aurora simply said when the driver asked where to. 

"We need to talk." he simply said not looking at her. 

"No," she said as she looked out the window. 

"No?" he asked as she looked at her.

"No, we don't need to talk. I need to talk. That's what this is about. Me not being able to talk to you isn't it. Not including you what I'm going through. Fine." she said as she turned around. She shifted her weight on the seat so she was facing him, but being careful that the dress she was wearing wouldn't ride up. 

"Aurora, I'm sorry for what I sa-" Benedict was cut off. 

"Shut up before I lose my nerve!" He looked at her and saw the tears begin to form, and just nodded. 

"I bet you can count on your hands how many times I have cried in front of you,can't you? I know you heard everything my mother said that day in the apartment. Can you at least slightly understand where I am coming from. Emotions are not something I do well." At this point the tears began to stream down her face. "I bottle them up, I was stuck with my mother most of the time. I wasn't allowed to be scared, or sad around her. It was weakness. Sometimes I do blame my dad for leaving me with her when he had business, but he didn't know. That became my defense, especially when she decided to uproot us and move us here from San Diego, but then I met you and I felt comfortable." She looked out the window and took a deep breath. 

She looked down at the hands. "I knew I loved you two years ago, when you had to go back home after school was done. When you left and we said goodbye I felt like a piece of me was yanked out. I stood at that terminal for the longest time just staring at the door and I didn't know why at first. I thought it was because my only friend in a long time was leaving. That summer I dated a couple of guys but I always ended it because I would compare them to you. And that's when I realized what it was. I loved you. I still do." 

"Aurora, why not just tell me." 

She laughed and stared at her hands. "Because that would be admitting my feelings, that would mean having to feel the heartbreak when you would have to leave every year." She looked at him, "This right here," she said indicating their sitting in the taxi. "Is why I didn't want to admit to myself that I was in love with you. I can't bare to say goodbye to you every year, and this summer when I was on my own, I realized that this year I would have to say goodbye to you for good.' 

Benedict looked out the window, as he felt a lump form in his throat. 

Aurora sniffled and took a deep breath, "So yes, I found a different way to deal with my emotions. Was it wrong, yes, and I hurt a lot of other people in the procce.  I never wanted you to find out the way you did, but you did.  And I am sorry. I saw the only relationship I believed in fall apart and I saw us fall apart before I could even let us be -" 

Benedict placed his hand over hers, and another on her cheek. "I'm so sorry." she sobbed. He took his seat belt off and scooted closer to her. "I understand that I messed this up. I really do. And I'm sorry. I don't deserve your under-" he silenced her with a kiss. 

"You're so stupid." he whispered. "To think that I wouldn't love you. I will always love you. I understand you're scared and you're in a hard place, but that doesn't mean you have to close yourself out. I know that you are having a hard time with your emotions and that's ok, as long as you talk to me."

"We're here." the cab driver said. Benedict came out and opened the door for Aurora as the driver unloaded their bags. 

They stood there at the curb for what felt eternity not knowing what to say next. "I know goodbyes are hard," he finally said, as he pulled her in towards him, "but just know that we're going to see each other again." He put his hand in hers and the walked into the airport together. 

"My flights this way," she pointed towards the domestic flights, "Mine's this way." he said pointing the opposite direction. 

"This is where we say goo-" he silenced her with a kiss. "This is where we say I'll see soon." he said and kissed her cheek. Tears began to spill again from her eyes. 

"I'll be back for New Years." he said as he began to wipe away her tears.

"I won't be back by then. My ticket is for January." 

"Then I will see you in the new year." 

"Here," she said as she dug into her coat pocket, and handing him a key. "You left yours remember, it's still your apartment too, and you're stuff is there, and plus you'll be back before I will. You got to let yourself in somehow." 

He took it and placed it in his pocket as he pulled her in for another kiss. 

"I also have one more thing for you," she said as she pulled away. "To be honest when you left the apartment I kinda chased after you. I had my nerves and my speech all ready because I didn't want to leave without talking to you, or at least giving you this." She fished out her phone, and he gave her quizzical look. 

"Your phone?" he asked. 

"Yeah, Mr. Nicks suggested that we should start recording ourselves so we can hear ourselves singing and playing so we can see what everyone is hearing. I didn't get to record it anywhere else, its the only mp3 on there. I wrote it for you. Just promise me that you'll wait until you're on the plane to listen to it please." 

He looked a the phone in his hand and back up at her and saw how much this meant to her. "I will." 

"Well then Benedict," she said as she took a deep breath in and stood up straight. "See you soon." 

"See you soon Aurora." he said as she began to walk down to her terminal. 

\--

Once the flight was boarded and Benedict took his seat, he rested his head back, he hadn't realized how tired he was until he had awoken two hours later. 

He looked out the window and immediately thought about Aurora. Blackness had filled the sky and the stars were dim in the back not yet ready to come out. He smiled to himself as he remember the day that she called him at 2 in the morning because she had just gotten a telescope and wanted him to go out to central park with her to stargaze and ended up getting rained on.  

All the sudden he remember the phone in his coat pocket, he pulled it out and turned it on. After the usual logos and start up music, her screen popped up, it was a picture of them from the year they met in theater class, surrounded by other class mates, someone must have taken the photo when neither was looking at the camera, they were looking at each other with huge smiles on their faces

**Click me**  a little button at the bottom of the screen blinked, and he fumbled his pockets for headphone, quickly plugged them in and pressed the button and Aurora's voice filled his ears. 

"Okay Mr.Nicks, you wanted me to learn guitar, and you wanted me to sing something from my heart, well I've had quite a shitty last three weeks, so here it is, I think I'm calling this one I Want Tears, I know it's a stupid title for a song but it is what it is. " she let out a sigh. 

A guitar strum started and Aurora began to sing 

" _How does saying nothing at all become so loud? When does the silence settle in? Nothing's wrong by nothing's right, we hold our breaths and close our eyes, and skate out on that ice that's wearing thin,"_ he began to hear her voice crack slightly and he knew that she had started to tear up as she did this. " _How do we get so numb, it don't even hurt? why are we so comfortably still? Here we are pretending that we're doing fine, scratching at the surface just getting by, don't you think it's time that we feel something real?"_

There was silence, and Benedict had to look down to make sure that his headphones weren't broken as the phone said there was still another two minutes left on the recording. When he heard her again, sniffling. 

"Oh, man this sucks," she said. Hearing her made him laugh. "Okay, get it together." 

The guitar strummed again and she sang the chorus. 

" _I want tears, I want rain, if that's what leads me back to you, even it that means feeling the pain, if thats what we got to do, then let it fall apart,"_  he could hear her start to cry again, and tears began to well up in his. " _go on and break my heart, yeah break it right in two, cause I don't want to smile if that means losing you. I want tears."_ _  
_

Benedict looked down at the phone and stared at the picture of the two of them as the song continued and he held back his tears. 

" _The kind that you can't help and you can't hold back, the one's that are waiting bursting at the seams, baby can't we find the strength to just let go and make a change, cause I need something more to make me believe,"_  when she began to sing the chorus he could hear the crack in her voice as she continued to play and sing through it again, and he felt his tears begin to trail down his cheeks, 

" _Remember what we used to have? Baby don't you want it bad? Baby we can get it back,"_  her voice changed as she sang the last chorus, she sounded as if a weight had been lifted off of her and she was able to sing with everything she had, and he could picture her sitting in her room crying and smiling as she sang it. 

" _I want tears, I want rain, if that's what leads me back to you, even it that means feeling the pain, if thats what we got to do, then let it fall apart come on and break my heart, yeah break it right in two, cause I don't want to smile if that means losing you, I want tears."_

He looked around, every fiber in his being told him to jump out of this plane to look for her and hold her close and tell her it'd be okay. That they would be okay. "This is why you made me promise to wiat." he said to himself as he looked at her in the picture. He knew that these next two weeks would be the longest he ever would have, and that the new year wouldn't arrive as soon as he would want it to. 

 


	12. Thinking of You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was inspired by Katy Perry's "Thinking of You" you can listen to it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULT-URd3GyQ  
> I do not own it, I did not write it, just fitted perfectly I do not take credit for it in anyway

Benedict sat at Aurora's piano bench staring out into central park while everyone counted down the new year, in the distances he could hear everyone counting it down, when there was a knock at the door. His heart skipped a beat as he rushed to the door in hopes of it being who he wanted it to be. He opened the door to see Tom standing there with a bottle of champagne. 

"Hey," Benedict said as he opened the door wide enough for him to enter. "Hey." he simply said as he returned to the piano bench. 

"I bought this for you," Tom said as he placed it on top of the piano. "I thought maybe we could drink to a new year, seeing that we both don't have anywhere else to be." 

Benedict looked at Tom, they had slowly become friends as they opened communication about everything that had happened. He appreciated Tom's honesty, and it brought them together.  Benedict grabbed some glasses in the kitchen and handed one to Tom as he uncorked the bottle. "Thanks," he said as Tom poured some in both their cups. "For everything." 

"No problem." he said as they stared out into the distance watching the fireworks. "When is Aurora going to be back?" 

Benedict laughed, "I don't know, I forgot to ask her, and she left her phone with me." 

Tom laughed as he took a sip from his cup, "Well, that can be problematic." 

"Yeah." he responded as he looked out into the distance and realized that this was the first new years he had without Aurora since meeting her four years ago and he felt a pang of sadness. He turned around and looked at the keys on the piano and ran his fingers over them, it would be the closest thing that he would have to her fingers in hers for now. 

\--

January passed and worry watched over Benedict as Aurora failed to return home. He called her father several times, but every time he called it was busy or he had to leave a message. He didn't know if she was running away, or if she just needed some time, but it hurt not knowing that she was okay and alive.

February was slowly approaching and Benedict was at wits end trying to figure out where she was. He had half a mind to jump on a plane himself and look for her in San Diego, but he always talked himself out of it. He didn't even know if she would return, she had missed enough school to warrant an expulsion. 

It was the last day of January and Benedict walked the halls of his school to his study period when he ran into Jason. 

"Hey, Ben. How you been buddy?" 

Lost in his train of thought Benedict took a step back startled. "Umm...good. Thanks, and you?" he began to side step around him to reach the library. 

"You should come to our monthly theater session today." he simply said with a huge smile on his face. 

"Really?" Benedict asked suspiciously. 

"Yeah, I think you would really enjoy today's." Susan said as she walked out the library with an equally big smile on her face. 

Benedict looked back and forth between the two. "What's going on?" he asked as each of them hooked his arms and began to walk down the hall with him in between them. 

"Nothing," Jason said, "We just thought," Susan started, "You would like some company." Jason finished. "Now shush, and sit in the back row with Jason okay." Susan said as she opened the door for the two boys. 

Jason shoved Benedict into the last row and put his finger up to his lips, telling him to be silent. He nodded at the boy as he sat down. When Mr. Nicks began to give lecture that he finally leaned in and whispered. "Jason what's going on, why are you guys being so mysterious?" 

Jason just smiled at him and pointed to the stage. It was empty,  a stool and a microphone were the only things there.  _Whatever._  he thought to himself as he settled back into his seat and listened to Mr. Nicks. 

"You have all made significant process last year, and this year is full of promise. You all have made me proud to be your professor. Some I've know you four years, some two, but know that I am equally proud of all of you. Every once in a while I do have a student in each generation that sees a bar and stays underneath it, making it but never wanting to surpass it, but when challenged, when pushed, they soar way above the bar. This year it was none other than Aurora Diaz." 

A lump formed in Benedict's throat, what was going on? Was this a memorial service? Did everyone know something that he didn't? He looked at Jason who was smiling again. Why was he smiling? 

"She has been dealing with a family issue, and has been absent, but she has never stopped writing music while she was gone. When I first met her she only played the piano, this year I pushed her outside her comfort zone and she made me prouder than I thought she would ever make us. So Aurora, please, grace us when one of the songs you wrote while you were away." Mr. Nicks extended his hand to a girl in front of him. Benedict stood up with tears welling up in his eyes. 

Everyone cheered as she stood up. Her long black hair had been cut short, reaching her shoulders, which made you stare into her eyes. She was wearing a yellow sundress that made her skin glow and almost as dark as her fathers. 

"Am I late?" Benedict heard another voicem say as it sat on the other side of him. He turned around to see Tom sitting there. 

"No," Jason whispered "You're right on time." Benedict looked back at both of them, "You guys all knew. Since when?" he hissed. 

"An hour ago." Tom replied, "This morning." replied Jason. 

He stared back onto the stage, she stood there with a guitar around her and a smile on her face. There was something about how she held herself that Benedict could see she was confident about all she was doing, who she was, she demanding the attention of everyone, and she was comfortable doing so. 

"Can someone help me," she laughed as she fumbled with the microphone, someone ran on stage and helped adjust it to her height. "Thank you." she said as they ran off the stage after helping her. 

"Ok, so Mr.Nicks, you have me all nervous here now, don't know if this song will meet expectations. I know it reaches mine. As Mr. Nicks said I had a comfort zone, I hid behind my piano, so last year he posed me a challenge, learn guitar, stop hiding, show some emotion. I wrote one song before I left in December which Mr.Nicks did hear, and encouraged me to keep writing the way I did. I'll let you know I cried most of that recording. Anyways I'm babbling now, I was in San Diego and this song came to me because I was missing someone, and having learned guitar I picked it up and kept working until I was satisfied with it. So here it is, I named this song, "Thinking of you." 

Benedict leaned forward wanting to be next to her, Jason and Tom both put their hands on his shoulders and had him sit down. "Dude just enjoy the show."  Jason whispered. 

Aurora strummed the guitar as she began to sing gently  " _Comparisons are easily made when you've had a taste of perfection, like an apple hanging from a tree, I picked the ripest one, I still got the seed, you said move on, where do I go?, I guess second best is all I will know."_

She stopped her as she took a deep breath and looked down at her guitar, and her voice became stronger as she sang the chorus 

" _cause when I'm with him, I am thinking of you, what you would do, if you were the one spending the night. ooh i wish that I was looking into your eyes"_ Everyone cheered as she finished the chorus. "There's still more, guys, shut up." She continued to strum along, "Now I have to think where I left off," she laughed than continued to sing.

_"You're like an Indian Summer in the middle of winter, like a hard candy with a surprise center, how do I get better once I've had the best?,_ _you said there's tons of fish in the water, so the waters I will test, He kissed my lips, I taste your mouth, he pulled me in, I was disgusted with myself."_

She slowed down as she sang her last chorus, and that end sang " _Oh, won't you walk through, and bust in the door and take me away?_ _Oh, no more mistakes, Cause in your eyes I'd like to stay."_  she held that last note in stay for as long as she could before ending the song there. She stood back a foot from the microphone as everyone stood and clapped. 

She laughed as she took the guitar off and began to bow for everyone, she stood up and spotted Benedict in the last row and froze for five seconds as a smile spread across her face, before she jumped off the stage and began running up the aisle. 

"Go get her." Tom and Jason jeered at a frozen Benedict, before he ran out into the aisle to meet her half way,she ran into his arms with full force knocking him back a step as she kissed him passionately with her arms wrapped around his neck, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in tight against him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always let me know what you like and what you don't

Benedict opened the door to the apartment and Aurora walked in "Home sweet home," she said as she dropped the guitar on the couch and ran over to the window. "Hello central park!" she said as she waved out the window. "Hello piano," she said as she sat and played a quick little ditty letting her fingers run over the keys. 

Benedict came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist letting his face rest on her right shoulder, as he kissed her neck. "Hello you." she purred.  He smelt the strawberry shampoo again, intoxicating him. "You're hairs shorter." he simply said as he kissed her again. 

"Do you like it?" she moaned in-between the kisses he gave her. "If you don't I could like get extension or something." she quickly added. "No, I love it, lets me do this." he said as he nibbled on her neck and kissed her ear as he whispered, "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you more." she said as she turned to face him and kissed him. She stared into his eyes. "Benedict," she said as he came in to kiss her again. "I love you. I don't care if you break my heart, I want to feel it. I want you. " 

He wrapped his arms around her waist and carried her away to her bedroom. Laying her gently on her bed, he kissed her before laying next to her. "Promise me you won't lie to me, or hide from me again. If you need time, just let me know, don't just leave. It worried me so that I didn't know if you were okay. I don't want to break your heart. I want to love you. "

Aurora straddled him playfully sitting on his stomach. "I know I'm sorry, once I was there I didn't want to leave. My dad took me down to Mexico for awhile we went to Arizona, I had the time of my life. I think being around a caring supportive person was good therapy for me. I didn't want to leave, but I never realized how much I could miss someone." She laid her body down against his. "I wanted to be here again with you listening to your heartbeat like I used to when I would fall asleep in your arms. I know it took me a long time, and I'm sorry, but I love you. And if we really only have 4 months left here in New York, than I would like it if I lived it truthfully and in love with you."

"How are you able to return to school?" Benedict asked realizing she has missed a month of school and assignments. 

"I'm spoiled remember. Dad called and gave them some story about a family emergency and a big donation." 

Benedict laughed as he wrapped his arms around her and rolled around so they laid on their sides and looked at each others eyes. 

"You're bangs are longer too." he said as he moved them out of her face to look into her eyes and placed his hand on her cheek. "With all this hair gone I can see your freckles too." he said as he kissed her nose. 

"I love your freckles," she said as she kissed his nose. He sat up with his back against the headboard. "What else do you love about me?" he said coyly. She smiled and crawled over to him straddling him in between her legs and sitting back on her ankles. "Your eyes," she said as she kissed them, "that have watched over me for four years. You're ears," she kissed and gave them a little nibble, "that have listened to me since the moment I met you. And that mouth, that have given me words of love and encouragement," she said as she began to to inch closer he put his hands on her back bringing her against him as they kissed passionately.

As they continued to kissed he let his hands roam her body, as they ran out of breath and pulled away she pulled his shirt off of him.  "I love everything about you." she said as kissed down his neck and nibbled on his neck and he ran his fingernails down the bare patches of her back that dress didn't cover. "I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you."

He lifted her and laid her on her back as he unzipped her dress. "Stop apologizing." he simply said as he kissed down her neck, and undid the dress which she kicked off the bed leaving her in her bra and panties. He sat up for a moment taking it the scene of her in, the curves, the beauty marks, the moles. Aurora quickly stirred and began to hide behind the sheets with flushed cheeks. 

"Are you okay?" he asked as he sat next to her. "I'm just a little self conscious, okay." he let a laugh escape. "Aurora, we've both had sex before, how is this any different." "That was just being naked with someone, this is me, being, I don't know vulnerable with you. I'm about to give myself to someone I actually have an emotional attachment to." she said looked at down at her hands. 

He kissed her forehead, "If you don't want to do this today, we don't have to." "No, no, I do," she said as she sat up letting the covers fall away and kissing him. "I do." she reached back and unclasped her bra and let it fall away, he laid on top of her and kissed her as his hands roamed her thighs and parted them gently. He pulled down her panties and began to slowly put his finger in her. She moaned underneath him and twitched in a way that excited him. It excited him that he was the one making her do that.

"Oh, Ben." she moaned as he played with her clit and kissed on her breasts, and he felt himself get hard and felt it rubbing against his jeans, but right now he had other matters to attend to. He continued to pleasure her until she was right and ready for him. 

Kneeling on the bed he sat back on his ankles to take off his jeans, when Aurora sat up and began to kiss him more passionately, while she unzipped his pants, letting his already hard dick out. She trailed kisses from his neck down his chest and stomach until she was down at his groin and without a word or hesitation she took him into her mouth. 

She worked it in and out slowly at first, wrapping her tongue around his shaft as it came in and out. Once she got accustomed to the girth she picked up the pace, "Oh Aurora," he moaned as he ran his hands through her hair. When he couldn't take it anymore he gently took a step back and cupped his hands around her face bringing her mouth to his again and laying her down. 

With his right hand on her left thigh and the other on her back he set into position, they kissed and looked into each others eyes as he slowly entered her. She put her arms on his shoulders and began to gasp into his neck as she bit it with every thrust he gave. He propped himself up to look at her, to look into her eyes, and he saw the girl he fell in love with, loving him back. He leaned down and kissed her again. "I love you Aurora." he said as he quickened his pace, not able to hold it any longer. 

"I love you Benedict," she said as her hips moved to meet his and she ran her hands though his hair. 

He pressed his body against hers wanting to feel every inch of her body against his. She wrapped her arms around him and dug her nails into his back as they both climaxed. She held onto him not wanting for the closenees they just shared to end, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rolled so that they would on their sides again facing each other. 

Neither moved for what seemed forever until she looked up at him and kissed his chin. "Lets skip school tomorrow." 

He looked down at her. "Why?" 

"One, I 'm so fucking jet lagged, and two.." she said as she kissed down his neck, "I want to stay in bed with you for as long as I can." 

Benedict laughed catching on to what she meant and pulled her on top of him. "Okay then. You're turn." 


	14. Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, there is only one more chapter left!! I am making a part two to this story , that I am not going to ruin right now as I am still working on it.  
> Please let me know what you like and don't like about this  
> Inspired by this, again not mine, let me know if its yours I will credit  
> 

Aurora laid faced down on Benedict's bed naked and deep in sleep. He smiled as he watched her sleep, he leaned down and kissed the spot on the back of her shoulder as he pulled a sheet up to cover her back. She stirred slightly turning on her right side as she continued her sleep. 

He quietly left the room and began to cook breakfast in the kitchen. As he was finishing up with making scrambled eggs he heard her speak. " Hmmm, breakfast." she said as she inhaled the aroma and sat at the table, now wearing one of his t-shirts and jeans. "You got dressed." he said as he placed the plates on the table. She laughed, "Yes, so did you. It's Saturday, Javier's coming over soon." she said as she began to eat fork fulls of egg and toast. He sat across from her and smiled as he watched her eat, "what?" she asked as she drank some juice. 

"You forgot what today is didn't you." "umm..." she said as she looked up at the ceiling scanning her memory. "It's not July, so it can't be your birthday. Ummm..you got me." 

He got up and walked to his room where he got a gift bag from under the bed and walked back to the kitchen. "Oh my god, it's valentine's day!" she exclaimed as he brought out the pink gift bag. "I'm so sorry. I didn't get you any-"she was cut off by a kiss. "Stop apologizing." he simply said and slid the gift across the table. 

She took the pink tissue out the top of the bag to discover a box underneath it, she pulled it out sliding the bag onto the chair next to her.  In the box she found a matching set of amethyst earrings with a necklace. It was a silver locket with an amethyst heart in the center. She opened it and found inside the picture of them from freshmen year that she used as her screen saver on her phone. Tears welled in her eyes as Benedict helped her put it on. 

"It's the greatest thing anyways given to me." she said as she held it against her chest. "Well it's no starry night over the rhone," he joked. She got up and kissed him, when there was a knock at the door. "That's probably Javier." she said as she kissed him again and raced to the door. Leaving him alone with the other gift in his pocket, to talk about some other time. 

\--

The months passed by faster than the lovers had intended, and they made it every second count. It was mid-May when Benedict finally asked about the future. 

She was writing at her piano when she shrugged her shoulders. "I unno. Maybe to go Ithaca and stay here in New York. Maybe move in with my dad for while. Maybe travel the world. Don't know yet. I'm tired of always overthinking things. Like my dad says 'que sera,sera'" she smiled at him as she continued to key away. 

"How about staying with me, back home for a while?" Benedict mumbled. Aurora stopped playing and looked at him. "I'm sorry? I didn't hear that." 

"How about you come stay with me for a while? You know, back in the UK." he repeated more clearly looking into her eyes. She looked into his eyes for a moment more to see if he was joking, but she could always tell, and he wasn't. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably and looked out the window, avoiding his eyes. "Ben, I don't know if that would be the best idea." she said softly as she turned around and met his eyes again. "I mean, if I do go with you, it would just prolong this." 

"Exactly," he said as he took her hands into his. "You just said you have no set plans yet. I love you come stay with me for a while." Aurora began to let tears stream down her face. 

"No, I mean you're prolonging saying goodbye. Why Ben? I mean-" he pulled out a small box from his pocket and laid it on the piano. Aurora just stared at it, not looking at Benedict, when he realized she was not going to open it, he did. It was a silver band with an amethyst heart in the center. 

"Its a promise ring," he said as he took it out of the box and slid it onto her finger. "I love you, and if you let me, I will spend the rest of our lives making you happy." 

Aurora stared at her finger for what seemed eternity, Benedict kissed her forehead. "What do you say?" 

She looked up at him, "Benedict, we're only 18, we're both barely going to graduate and  turn 19 next month. How can you know for sure that this is going to work? What are we going to do?" 

Benedict was taken back, this wasn't the response that he was waiting for. "What do you mean?" 

"I am what am I going to do in the UK? Am I just going to sit there and wait for you? I don't mean to sound ungrateful, you know I love you, but I don't think this is the best idea in the world. I mean, it's statistics, high school love doesn't last." 

Benedict was taken back, he stood up and walked to the window staring out into central park, as tears began to blur his vision. Aurora stood behind him, "I'm not saying I don't love you. I just-" 

"It actually sounds that way." 

"No, Benedict. I'm saying that this is too soon. I know you hate me for saying this, but I'm actually thinking things thoroughly for once. If this makes you hate me," she said as her voice cracked. "Then so be it I'd rather you hate me now, than us hate each other down the road." she said as she stood next to him at the window. 

"You once asked me to let you know when I wanted space, and not run away. This is me saying that this summer I want us to give 'us' space. Ben, we rushed things. I admit its my fault for taking so long, I was really messed up-" 

"Stop, stop it Aurora," Benedict finally spoke up. "If you don't want to, then fine. I understand, but start with your excuses. Just because your parents failed does not mean that we will. But if you can't see that then I take back all I said." he said as he walked away to his bedroom leaving Aurora staring out at Central Park on her own. She sat at the piano bench and closed the keys. 

Slowly she walked to her bedroom, gathered some of her stuff in a backpack, and walked out of the aparment. 


	15. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading.  
> In this chapter I used "Made of Glass" by KT Tunstall, I do not own it or write it, you can listen to it here  
> http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kttunstall/madeofglass.html
> 
> chapter Inspired by [](http://s830.photobucket.com/user/sketchbookthingz/media/GIFS/tumblr_lokdmpZiy91qiq9mc_zpsa480d4c6.gif.html) if it's yours let me know I'll credit

June was finally coming to it's draw. Benedict only saw Aurora at school from that day in May, she always sat away from him. He always wanted to run to her and apologize, but he always decided against it. She was right, they  had rushed into their relationship after both denying it for so long, maybe it was too late for them. She was right, how did he know that years down the road they wouldn't grow to resent each other. Having filled her two year requirement for theater class that was due for graduation, she dropped out of that class, the only reason she had taken it so long was because he wanted her there. 

The last day was finally here, he walked into school,  _for the last time,_ he thought to himself as he walked down the corridors. Every class was boring, summarys of what they had learned, final performanes, signings of yearbooks. He kept to himself, not wanting to talk to anyone. Finally after what seemed forever it was his study period, he had planned on leaving early to start packing, its not like he had anything to turn in to that class. He walked down the halls taking in the scenes one las time, when he came to the theater, he knew Aurora would be there to perform her final project. _Just go_ he's brain screamed at him, but before he knew it he was sitting in the back row of the theater making sure no one would see him there, as he tried to look for Aurora. 

He sat through four performances when the doors flew open, and Aurora came running in. "Sorrry, Sorry." she said breathless, a suitcase in one hand and her guitar in the other. 

"Ms. Diaz, just in time," Mr. Nicks said as he stood up. "It seems everyone else has performed and you have not. You're lucky this is finals or I wouldn't let you step a foot on that stage." Aurora laughed nervously, "I know I'm sorry, I had realized last period that I left my guitar home." 

"And the suitcase?" Mr. Nicks asked. 

"Oh, my flight is today at six, so I'm taking a car straight to the airport after this." She said simply as she put her guitar around her and walked up the stairs to the stage. 

_Her flight?!?_  his heart pounded  _to where?_ This was the first he had heard of this, but than again he said some hurtful things, she did too and they hadn't spoken. But a flight? She had said she didn't have any plans. 

"First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone, you guys are great, you listne to me screetch and try to play this thing called guitar," everyone laughed. "And espically you Mr. Nicks for pushing us this semester. This one is called 'Made of Glass.'" 

She stepped back fomr the microphone as she cleared her throat and tuned her guitar, when she was ready she stood forward and begang to strum the intro to her song, after a couple of strings she bought her mouth to the mic and sang, 

_"Fire me in an oven, until I go hard enough, to deal with losing you, I'm tired of thinking of you, each and every minute I see, something I know that you'd love, we're all made of glass, all made of glass, cheating ourselves to believe we'll be last, like a fool, I thought it was true, I was holding your flowers, if only you knew_." He got up and walked towards the stage to see her there, eyes glazed but no tears came out, on her neck the necklace he had bought her for Valentine's day with the ring he had given her hanging right next to it. 

_"How long?, how long?, have we got, until we're everything we ought to be-eeeeeeee, terrified, while the picture of dignity, come eat with me, at the table of this life, all made of glass, all made of glass, yes, we're all made of glass, all made of glass, cheating ourselves to believe we'll be last, like a fool, I thought it was true, I was holding your flowers, if only you knew, if only you knew."_ He wanted to run on stage and kiss her, but instead he ran out of the theater. 

\--

Benedict stood at the curb outside of the school, waiting. He couldn't bring himself to leave without talking to her at least one last time. He weaved and manuvered around everyone who surged out of the school trying to make sure that he didn't miss Aurora as she left. When he spotted her, laughing as she came out with Jason and Susan and quickly made his way over.  

"I'll miss you," Jason said as he hugged Aurora, "I'll miss you both, but I promise to visit." she said as she let got of Jason and hugged Susan. "It won't be the same around here wihtout you." Susan said as she let go of her friend. Aurora let a laugh out. "Don't make me cry you guys." she said as she signed their yearbooks, "Like I said I'll come and visit." Both friends rushed forward and hugged her again squeezing her between them. "I can't breath!" she laughed.

"Hey don't hog her, some of the rest of us haven't said goodbye." said Tom who walked out the front of the school. Jason and Susan let her go, Susan already crying. "Take care." she said, "Take care of each other." Aurora said to Jason and Susan as they walked away holding hands. 

"Hey beautiful," Tom said as he hugged her. "Hey handsome." she said back. "Thank you. Because of you, I kept from self destructing, you were the only person to stand up to me." Tom laughed, "Someone had to." and kissed her cheek. "It was wonderful to meet you Aurora, and I hope in the future we'll meet again. Let's just hope under better circumstances that don't require me getting punched." he said and Aurora laughed. "I'm sorry." she said breatheless. "Goodbye." he said as he walked away. 

Aurora began to walk to the curb as a black service car pulled up. "Aurora!" she heard a voice call, she turned to see Benedict trying to make his way through the people. Every fiber in her being told her to run, but she decided against it, it's not the way she wanted to ended things. Running. She needed to stop running. 

"Hey," she said as she stood with the door open. "I kinda have to get going, did you want to take a ride to the airport with me?" He nodded and got into the car.

Five minutes in a silent car he finally spoke up, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say the mean things I did. I'm sorry-" he was cut off by her kissing him. "Stop apologizing." she said as she pulled away and sat back down. 

"You did mean what you said, don't take it back. It's true, my parents marriage broke down, and I did think we would fail because of that. The whole high school sweetheart thing. So I'm not mad at you, I was for a little bit, but I got over it." she said as she looked out the window. 

"I didn't mean to rush things with you, but sometimes I feel like I wouldn't be able to take it if you weren't with me everyday." 

"See Benedict, that's why I didn't want us to start our relationship, because we would need each other, knowing that we can't. My life is here. I still have things to work out here, just like your life is in the UK. Our love is the most real thing I have felt in a long time, but I think we need to spend time apart to know if it'll last. I'm not saying we wouldn't-" 

"We're here." the driver announced as they pulled up to the entrance of JFK airport, and he came out to open the door. "Thank you," she said as she got out, and Benedict walked around and got her suitcase out of the trunk.

He followed her as she walked through the doors and began to walk towards the check in counter for domestic flights. They stood there for a long time just looking into each others eyes not knowing what to say next, so he finally took her face into his hands and kissed her passionatly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer. 

"I love you," he said as they ended their kiss, "and if you want me to wait I will." Aurora smiled. "You waited long enough for me, have some torried love affairs. Didn't you have some children you have to look after?" she joked. 

He laughed as they held back the tears that they both were fighting to keep back. 

"I guess this is goodbye." he said. Aurora laughed and kissed him one more time. "Give this back to me, when we meet again." she said as she put the ring in his hand. 

He looked at the ring in his hand and back at her. "There are no goodbyes remember," she said as she took her suitcase and stood up straight. "See you soon Benedict." she said as she walked away. 

\--5 years later ----

Benedict left set of his latest movie shot as he walked to his car his phone went off. It was Tom. Over the years they met here and there as they both took the acting route in life they bumped into each other at auditions. 

**_tom : hey what are you doing_ **

**_benedict: heading home._ **

**_tom: come over. I have something to show you._ **

**_benedict:can't it wait til morning?_ **

**_tom: i think you'd want to see this right now._ **

Benedict sighed, 

_**be over in little bit** _

_**  
**_ \--

"Okay, so what's so important that I had to come over right now, when I could be at home with a cup of tea." Benedict said as he walked into Thomas's home.

"Here," he said as he led his friend to his computer, "I was looking up new music to listen to, and I came across this." he said as he clicked a play button on the screen. 

"I swear, if this is something stupid I'll never talk to you again." Benedict said looking up at his friend. "Just watch" Tom said as he pointed to the computer. 

"Now joining us tonight on the late show, she is both our guest and musical guest. Her band is coming out with their debut album simply titled 'Desert Rain', and she is also co-staring in an upcoming comedy movie with funny guy Seth Rogan. Give it up for Aurora Diaz." 

Benedict froze in place. Did he really hear what he thought he heard. His heart thumped against his chest, he was sure that Thomas could hear it. And there she was, she walked out behind a curtain, in a red lace dress as she smiled and waved at everyone. 

"Hi," she siad as she hugged the host and sat on the couch. "I'm so glad to be here. I never thought I would ever be on late night shows, this is fun. Oh god I'm rambling and you haven't asked me a question." she laughed as her cheeks flushed. 

The host laughed. The rest was muffled out.  The usual questions happened, how did you guys get along on set, any funny stories, what's next. "Are you dating anyone?" the host asked. "Why are you asking me out?" Aurora said gracefully. The audience erupted in laughter and oohh's. The host smiled, "Maybe, as long as there isn't anyone backstage about to beat me up for asking." And everyone laughed agian.

They went to a commercial break and when they came back she had a guitar around her, behind her a two familiar faces joined her. Susan was standing next to her with a microphone and keyboard in front of her, and Jason was behind her with another guitar strapped to him. 

"This one I wrote years ago, these two behind me made me promise that if we ever did get this far in life that I would include it on our album, and make it our first single. So here it is, 'Thinking of You." 

She strummed as Benedict's heart bounced again. " _Comparisons are easily made when you've had a taste of perfection,"_ she sang that song that she long ago sung in front of a theater of peers and him. 

He stared at the video, and smiled as tears began to build up. She was happy. That was all he had ever wanted. 

"There you have it ladies and gentlemen, Aurora Diaz. Her movie comes out next month, and they start touring next year." 

She bowed and hugged the host one last time as she looked in the cameras and blew a kiss. 


	16. Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick little update, look into their lives a couple of years later. Thanks to everyone who stuck with this story. <3

 

  


 

Aurora laughed as she stood in front of her mirror getting ready. 

"What?" Thomas voice filled the air with hers, "What's so funny?" 

"You," she simply said as she turned her phone over, turning the speaker on, so she could talk as she finished her makeup. 

"Because I know what you are?," he simply said. Over the last couple of years their friendship grew stronger, and he knew her habits like the back of his hand. "I knew you'd pick a period piece type of costume."

'No, you didnot." Aurora said as she began to braid her hair, and place a flower crown she had a designer make especially for this occasion. "I didn't tell anyone what I was planning on doing." 

"Oh," Thomas continued to say with a laugh. "You borrowing my books and asking if a certain dress type belonged to certain period in time," Aurora rolled her eyes as she began to apply foundation to her face. "That told me." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Aurora said. "So are you coming or what?" 

She was hosting a Halloween party. It was her first year with nothing to do. The band had taken a slight hiatus since Susan and Jason got married and decided to start a family. And she had just finished filming her latest project, so she had free time on her hands, which caused her plan things. Latest one was her need to throw a Halloween party. 

"Of course I will be darling. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I even coordinated a costume to go with yours." 

Aurora stopped what she was doing and stared down at her phone, "Oh really? As what?" 

"Ehehehe," Thomas did that laugh that annoyed her so, "You'll just have to wait and see." 

"Ugg, Thomas," Aurora groaned as she continued to apply her makeup. "I am in utter suspense." 

After some more banter, the two hung up. 

\--

Aurora laughed as she walked around greeting everyone. She even tried her best to speak old english as much as she could to make people guess who she was. But not even she knew who she was. She just picked a dress, and committed to it, no character, nothing. Just a period piece. Like everything else in her life, she never thought it out until it was too late. 

"Hello, darling," she head Thomas say behind her. She turned and stood wordless as she saw what he had meant earlier. He was dressed as he was in the Hollow Crown. Crown on his head, hair slicked back, facial hair trimmed in properly place. Velvet clothing. It was one thing seeing it on her television screen, it was another seeing her best friend standing in front of her in full costume. 

After a minute of shock, she quickly curtsied. "My king." she said in the best accent that she could manage. He laughed and took one of her hands helping her straighten up. "You may rise, my lady." he played, trying not to show that he was stunned by her costume as well. 

Once they both stood eye to eye, they couldn't help but both burst out laughing, after a hug, she linked her arm in his and began to work the room on his arm. The two could not stop laughing as they met everyone and played into each other costumes. 

As the night rolled on, Thomas and Aurora danced and drank in merriment with all the other guests. As a slow song played, they began to dance, and when they did, she saw Ben in the distant. With his date.

They had tried the dating thing two years ago, but distance, and busy schedules kept them apart. They had mutually agreed to break up, but it still ached a bit. But than again that's how first loves always were, weren't they?

"Are you okay?" Thomas whispered, as he followed her eyesight. 

She quickly nodded the ghosts away, and smiled up at him. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" 

He let a sigh out, even though she had come a long way from hiding her emotions, she still shoved some down, and he knew it. 

"We could go." he suggested. 

"No," Aurora laughed. "It's okay. Really." She looked back at Ben and his date and saw how happy he was. 

After the dance they went to grab something to drink, and talk some more. "You know I can't tell you more than that 'Rora." Thomas laughed over his drink. She had been trying to get him to tell her what was his latest project to no avail. 

"Oh come on! You're my best friend!" Aurora whined yet again. "How about just one hint. I always tell you what I work on!" 

"It's not my fault you can't keep a secret from me!" Thomas chuckled. 

Their conversation was disturbed by someone clearing their throat. They looked up to see Ben with his date. 

"Hello," he said. 

"Hello, Ben." Thomas said sliding out of his chair and giving him a hug. 

Aurora was a bit slightly slower than Thomas, but out of courtesy,stood up and hugged him. "Ben," she simply said. 

"Aurora." he said back, as he took a step back from their hug, and grabbed his dates hand. "Mia, these are my oldest friends Aurora and Thomas. Thomas, Aurora, this is my girlfriend Mia." 

"It's so wonderful to meet you both, Ben talks about you both all the time." Mia said as she shook both Aurora's and Thomas's hand. 

After some more polite conversation, the couple moved on to say hello to everyone else. Thomas and Aurora sat back down and ordered another round of drinks and sat in silence. 

"So," Thomas began to say, but Aurora cut me off. "Don't you dare ask me if I'm okay yet again Thomas." she drank the last of her drink. 

"Because," she looked back behind her and saw Ben and Mia smiling and laughing as they talked with someone else. She turned back to her friend. "I am." 

"Really?" Thomas asked perplexed. 

"Yes, really." She smiled, and grabbed his hand. "Come on I want to do some more dancing before my feet begin to hurt from these ridiculous shoes." 

Laughing, he followed her onto the dance floor. But a nagging feeling still resided within his belly, he wanted to know. He needed to know. As a slow song started, and they were within closer proximity, he finally did. "Can I ask why?" 

Aurora laughed, "You really, can't let things go." Letting a sigh out she explained. "I'm okay because, he's happy. He'll always be my friend. Sure, there is a part of me that will always hurt, a tiny part, because he was my first love. But I'll be okay." 

He smiled, and pulled her closer. "Are you okay?" Aurora asked Thomas suddenly perplexed with their closeness and his inquiring over her feelings with Ben. While she and Ben dated, he never asked about it. After they broke up and she dated others, he never asked about it either. In fact he never asked about those at all. 

"I just care a lot about you Aurora." 

A smirk came across her face, "Tell me something I don't know." 

"No, Aurora," he said as he leaned back slightly so their eyes met, he brushed his nose against hers, resting his forehead on hers. "I care for you." 

She stopped dancing and stood here with her face so close to his. Her eyes looking into his, with their bodies so close to each other she could feel his heart pounding against his chest, and onto hers. He was not joking or pretending. He was baring his heart and real feeling for her right now. 

Her hands began to clam up, her heart bounced around, and her voice caught in her throat. Did she really feel the same way? 

"I can understand if you don't want to talk to me after this. I'm sorry if I'm putting in an uncomfortable position. But I wanted you to know."

"Why now?" she finally was able to muster. 

"Because I was there since the very beginning. I knew that there was never a chance for me, if you still loved Ben. I knew you were never truly over him. So I waited." 

"I," was all she could say. She didn't know what to say, or how to feel. She cared a lot about him as well. He was after all the one who was stuck by her through everything. Since the beginning as he said. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she cared about more than she initially thought. Not a single day could pass without her talking or texting him in one form or way, or else, she felt empty. Was that friendship or more? 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said this. I am so sorry." Thomas began to say and was about to leave, when the hands that were in Aurora's pulled him back against her. 

"That's not fair. You didn't give me a chance to talk or think. Plus, we haven't finished this dance." 

Thomas nodded and smiled at her. As they danced, they remained silent as they started into each others eyes and Aurora thought things through. 

As the song ended, they stood there yet again, "Lets go talk somewhere quiet." she finally said. 

He followed he as she lead him to the library and closed the door. 

"Aurora, I'm sorry." 

"Shut up Thomas." Aurora said as she laughed and sat on the couch. "Sit down and listen." Nodding he sat on a chair across from her. 

"I think I may feel the same way about you, that you do for me. But I already know how these long distance things are. We both live hectic lives, and careers. Do you really think this would be the best thing to do for our friendship?" 

Thomas sat there mouth wide open, he didn't know what to respond to. The fact that Aurora actually thought this out like a rational adult, which was something he thought she would never do. Or the fact that Aurora had admitted that she might feel the same way as he did. She laughed at the sight of him, and patted the area next to her on the couch. 

He sat next to her and she took his hand into hers. For the next hour they talked and talked. How they would make this work? What would happen to their friendship? Would they still be friends after, if they, broke up?

After exhausting all their topics, they sat there in silence, hand in hand. "Aurora, I know it's not going to be easy, and I know you have your pretenses, but all I'm asking you for is a chance. Just a chance to see where this could lead us." 

Aurora sighed, and played with his fingers in her hand, she looked up into his eyes and she couldn't deny herself that she was curious herself where this road could go. 

"A chance," she simply said to herself, "I think I could do that."

Smiling, he jumped up, wrapped his arms around her and brought her into a huge hug. She laughed, as he set her back down on the ground, and in the moment couldn't help herself. Wrapping her arms around his neck she brought him closer to her and kissed him. There was no denying the spark there. They did have history after all. He deepened the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist, supported her lower back with his hands and pulled her closer. Pulling away from the kiss they stood there smiling at each other. 

"Come on, I think we've been away from the party to long." she said as she straightened out her dress and headed for the door. 

"My lady." Thomas simply said as he raced to it, and held it open for her.

Aurora laughed, "My king." she curtsied yet again before linking her arm into his. And together they headed back into the party, something more. 

 


End file.
